When it comes to advising new or aspiring agents, there are two persistent myths. Some folks say you can start earning right away in real estate. Others tell rookie it’ll be months before they make their first deal. But for Melissa Boucher, the first six months weren’t for making money: they were for learning.
[Your mentors] have so much to teach you, and they don’t even know they’re teaching.
A year ago, Melissa left her first career as an oncology nurse in Seattle to become a full-time real estate agent. In retrospect, nursing prepared her quite well for her new job. “You’re helping people through transitions and I think…a lot of nursing was helping people through transitions,” Melissa observed. “Whether it’s the family, the patient, where they’re going, what their treatment’s going to be, and it’s not that different.”
Instead of taking on clients right away, Melissa decided to spend time seeking out mentors and learning everything she could about her new trade. “Sometimes doing things hands on is a great way to learn, but sometimes doing it hands on with someone guiding you is just that much better,” Melissa said of her mentors.
Not long ago, Melissa’s focus on mentoring paid off in a big way when she landed a sprawling 99-acre listing in the San Juan Islands worth twenty million dollars. In part, the opportunity came from building connections and proving her worth to other professionals over those first several months. But it was also the culmination of everything Melissa learned about creating a great listing presentation. “[Your mentors] have so much to teach you, and they don’t even know they’re teaching,” she explained.
While she works primarily at the high end of the market, Melissa learned early on that adaptability is essential in real estate. “I think you have to really know how to flex to your client and know what they’re looking for,” she pointed out. “I think there’s a little bit of knowing your audience and knowing yourself, and then finding a happy medium between the two.”
In this interview, first-year agent Melissa Boucher takes us through her journey to 20 million, and explains why open houses can be an untapped resource for connecting with sellers.
– Seth
