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This work-for-hire piece was published in Washington REALTOR® PROfile Magazine (Volume 3 Issue 5, September 2007) which is the Bimonthly Publication direct mailed to over 27,000 REALTORS®. Article
Word Count: 853 NO REPRINTS You
Were a What? By Laura J. Christian Many of Washington Realtors have found their way into the field of Real Estate from a variety of backgrounds. From Seattle Seahawk to light ship sailor, to actor stand-ins, the backgrounds of Realtors are as varied and interesting as the industry itself. As you encounter your partners in Real Estate strike up a conversation, as you never know who you will meet. In the meantime here are some tidbits on some of your fellow Realtors and their fascinating previous lives: Finding the Hidden Gem: Nanette Bishop With a love of sparkly things Realtor Nanette Bishop spent 12 years working as a jewelry designer before becoming a Realtor. Nanette's eye for the "diamond in the rough" helps her clients realize their vision for their most important purchase: their home. Nanette found that as a jewelry designer she wasn't so much designing something, but extracting her client's vision for what they already had in mind. Those skills easily translate to real estate where Nanette asks leading questions of her real estate clients to help them find the home of their dreams. "I ask questions very much the same way I did when I was a designer. If this were your house what color would you paint it? What would you change if money was not a problem? I love helping them find their vision" Flying the Friendly Skies: Bonnie Beddall Realtor Bonnie Beddall is used to reaching for the sky as a former major airline pilot. The last airplane she flew was a DC-10 for Northwest Airlines. Many of the skills needed to pilot major airplanes translate to Bonnie's career as an active Realtor. "The biggest thing that I carried from my career as an airline pilot to my career as a real estate agent and manager is a high level of responsibility and personal accountability. I was used to being responsible for the safety of my passengers and crew and now I carry a high level of responsibility for helping my client's and agent's real estate goals come true." From Radio to Real Estate: George Caudill, Jr. Realtor George Caudill Jr. looks back fondly on his time as a southern Utah radio DJ for a small station near a Navajo Indian reservation. Dubbed "Captain Midnight" by the locals for his work on the night shift, George proudly sported wild hair and dressed in native regalia. George's work as a DJ brought him a lot of fascinating experiences he never would have encountered otherwise and he met many extraordinary people. "On Sundays at the station one of the Navajo's would come to the station and do the 'Navajo Gospel Hour' in his native tongue and then spend time talking with me. I even spent some time in a "Hogan" (mud house). This experience will always be my most cherished time of my life." Serving the People: Randy Nichols Realtor Randy Nichols spent 30 years in law enforcement and experienced a range of interesting and challenging assignments. Randy patiently worked his way through the ranks ending that chapter of his life as Second-in-Command. Randy's many experiences in law enforcement has made him very understanding about the demands life makes on everyone, and sensitive to the fact that mistakes are made by everybody, including law enforcement. "I find it refreshing and exhilarating to be in profession where your only goal is finding the "right fit" for clients and then striving to find a way to make that transaction happen. Those professional strengths, in dealing capably and empathetically with people under stress, transfer easily from my former profession to this new one." Shaping the Next Generation: Donald G. Arsenault Spending time in a rough and tumble junior high where students once torched the principle's car, Realtor Donald G. Arsenault learned how to handle many rough situations. With a Master's Degree in Counseling Donald worked both as a school counselor and drug rehab counselor, with tutoring "at risk" students on the side. The extreme circumstances and lessons learned back then help Donald work with a variety of people as a Realtor today. "I guess that one of the traits of a successful Real Estate Agent, Broker, Investor, or likely anyone who has tasted Success (is that they) enjoy striving for success. United States Customs Inspector: Lonnie Davey Realtor Lonnie Davey went from working for the federal government for over 30 years to working in Real Estate in what feels like the blink of an eye. His experiences were varied and he met all manner of people as he traveled the country and overseas as a United States Customs Inspector. "In 1995 I was sent to Romania and worked on the sanctions the U S government had placed on the Serbs. It was a real eye opening experience…" After retiring from the government a friend encouraged Lonnie to use his hard earned skills and go into Real Estate "You deal with all kinds of people, you may not like what you see, but you have to be true to yourself and your client. You need to work with them and see if they can understand the need to work together." |
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