We got into real estate to make a difference in people’s lives. Neither of us got a traditional introduction into the world of a real estate agent. While these early challenges were difficult at the time, they’ve made us better agents in the long run. 

 

Stan – Shortly after obtaining my real estate license, someone I knew said he could help me get work. The work was door-knocking at houses that were being foreclosed on. It was a soul-crushing job. I hadn’t had any other experience, and I wondered if this was what most real estate agents do.

 

After 5 months of door-knocking and giving people bad news about their houses foreclosing, I started wondering if I had landed in the wrong business. But my wife used to drive by a major brokerage on her way to work every day and convinced me to walk in and talk to them. And that’s when I met my mentor Lema, to whom I attribute most of my success. She took me under her wing and taught me what I needed to know to be a successful agent. I probably wouldn’t be an agent today if it weren’t for her.

 

When she retired, my friend John and I decided to go into business together.

 

My first experience working with John was at a Pizza Hut in 1993. I was the manager, and he was my assistant manager. After years of friendship, we were reunited in a working partnership when he joined me. We’re able to motivate each other, and between the two of us, we can help any client with any need. We can do the same for you!

 

John - After working 70 hour weeks in the corporate world, I’d had enough. It was 2008, and the real estate market had just taken a nosedive. I had gotten my license earlier in the year and had been excited to get out of my awful situation. I never got to see my kids, and the job was taking a mental toll on me. Even with the risky timing, I was ready to make the leap. But I knew I would need Stan’s help.

 

On Easter Sunday in 2008, my wife and I invited Stan and his wife over for dinner. But I wanted to discuss more than the kids’ Easter egg hunt that morning. After we had eaten our fill, I took Stan aside and told him that I was planning on leaving my job to get into real estate like him, and I wanted him to consider becoming my partner. 

 

Stan shook his head, “John, as your friend, I can’t advise you to do this! The market is terrible right now! Don’t give up a steady job for this!”

 

I replied: “I know how it seems, but I have everything all planned out. We’ll be making four transactions a month. If it doesn’t work, then you can say ‘I told you so,’ and I’ll cut my losses, but I really believe we can do this.”

 

“This isn’t gonna be easy,” Stan warned.

 

Indeed it proved to be incredibly difficult. For the first six months, all our transactions were BPO’s, we worked Christmas and New Year’s, and we had to go wherever the business was. Starting out when the market was at its worst was not as difficult for me as it may have been for some of my peers due to the resolve I had developed during my corporate career. And when the market improved, my hard work became even more lucrative. 

 

I never could have done it without Stan by my side. We’d love the opportunity to put that work towards getting you into your new home.

 

There are many benefits to choosing to work with a real estate team. We have very different personalities but see that as another positive we bring to the table. We’re able to work well with more personality types than a single agent can. It also means that you’re hiring a team to help you. All of our clients deal directly with us at all stages of the transaction. We truly take you through the entire process. We’re honest, patient, and have a strong work ethic. We tailor our searches to the client and aren’t satisfied until the client is. This isn’t easy money, it requires real effort, and we recognize that and do the job accordingly. Having a license doesn’t automatically mean understanding the business. We know this from our own early wobbles and have spent the rest of our real estate careers learning the ins and outs, using that knowledge to help and educate our clients. We hope you give us the chance to provide the same service to you. 

 

With gratitude,

 

Stan Abraham

REALTOR® | LIC# SA543330000

(602) 618-0892

Stan@PhxHomeList.com

www.PhxHomeList.com