Being a Realtor is super weird. When you first get your license you're all pumped and ready and then you realize that you have no idea what to do exactly. No one gives you customers, no one hands you business, you don't really know what you're doing but you're supposed to convince people to trust you with one of the biggest moments/ purchases of their life. So you sort of invent things to do and hope it works. A lot of Realtors door knock or cold call, maybe they buy ads in local newspapers and hope someone says 'yes' to them. I didn't do any of that. I still refuse to do that stuff. But I did work on my website, and I did post on social media about all sorts of random stuff. Little by little I convinced people to trust me and little by little they told other people to trust me, too. And through that patient process I have built a pretty great little business and I seriously couldn't be more proud/ honored/ humbled by that.
So my first client event felt a little like being a new Realtor again. How do I do this? How do I create an event that people would like to attend? Not to be a snob but most client appreciation events that I see other Realtors doing are events I wouldn't personally be caught dead at. And I wanted to have an event that I would go to, and enjoy, and tell my friends about. I also wanted an event that provided some things. Education? Philanthropy? How can I be a Realtor but also give back? It was immediately an obvious answer to me. Most of my clients are climbers and skiers and mountain bikers or at the very least they are outdoor adjacent.
Last year still haunts me. In one event alone we lost four beautiful, young, relevant souls. These were experienced, well-educated skiers of the Wasatch. I decided the only answer to kick off the winter season was to host a Know Before You Go avalanche seminar. I hatched the plan with my friend Tony as we chatted in my front yard after he trimmed some trees for me (renaissance man). Anyone who knows me knows nothing is easy with me. It's always got to me more, and better, and greater. So we rented out a brewery, reached out to local businesses and outdoor companies and hosted a raffle to raise money for the Utah Avalanche Center.
And do you know what happened? People fucking showed up. Lot's of people. My clients and friends. And as I stood there at the front door greeting people, I was absolutely overwhelmed at how cool this was. I watched clients recognize friends in the room and make connections and learn about avalanches. I saw people eating and drinking and spending their hard earned money on raffle tickets to support the UAC. This was absolutely everything I want my career to be about. Community, philanthropy, education, and fun. And I was brought back to those early efforts in real estate when I spent my days making up things to do until I could sell some homes, and I realized that all that energy and effort has worked and become something greater than I could ever have imagined.
In the end we raised $565 for the Utah Avalanche Center. My goal is to host this event every year so that it can become something that people rely on. As my business grows, my hope is for Salt Town Realty to match donations each year as well. Massive massive thanks to everyone who attended and to all the amazing businesses and companies who donated to the raffle. Love you, mean it.
Additionally, I wanted to give a shoutout to my absolute ride-or-die-I-seriously-couldn't-do-it-without-you-main-bestie-bosslady-badass-woman: Cori Edwards. She has not only been my best friend since we were 13 years old but she is currently the COO of Salt Town Realty. It was because of her hustle and drive and efforts that this event went off so smoothly. So mega mega thanks to her. Love you girl!
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