In our weekly team meetings, we often discuss what makes us different than the other thousands of realtors in Northeast Ohio. As we discuss these differentials and talk through what is true, our discussion usually lands on our integrity and care for our clients. When in the trenches of real estate, it’s often easy to forget how much that actually means to buyers and sellers. I know first hand these characteristics are true having been through the buying process myself with the Forsythe Group.
When my husband and I were first engaged, we thought it would be a good idea to purchase a home instead of renting an apartment. So we contacted an agent that we knew and started the process.
What I didn’t know back then in 2009, was that this would begin my real estate journey.
Unfortunately the experience with that particular agent did not work out. We felt pressured to make a decision about a home that we didn’t really like, in an area we didn’t want to be in. The agent thought it was the best house and location for us. I’ll never forget the immense feeling of pressure we had when we had to decide on the mint green house with a weird staircase.
In the end, we ended up deciding to rent for 3 years, which was the best decision we could have made at the time.
After those 3 years, we felt that it was time to buy a house. This time, we chose a different realtor, another one we knew and it was a dramatically different experience.
She showed us houses all over town. Homes that were in our small budget. Many of the homes had tons of mold and each house we visited was less than favorable. It was a comical experience that we enjoyed and without the pressure we felt before to decide or settle on something that didn’t suit us.
Now that I am a REALTOR myself, I cringe when I think about what we put her through. Even though the budget was small and the houses were terrible, she was patient and kind to us, showing us all and every house we wanted to see. We knew that she cared for us and understood the importance this held to us.
We ended up buying our first home, one that needed a tremendous amount of work. Throughout the process of buying that home, her and her husband, who also was a REALTOR, guided us through each step. We had quite a few challenges during the buying process as the home we purchased was a short sale and had 3 mortgages. The process took nearly 6 months to finally get the keys.
The REALTORs who helped us navigate those 6+ months were Steve & Mary Ann Forsythe, the same couple who I’m glad to work with today.
It really does make a difference in who you choose to help you through your buying or selling journey. When you’re working with a realtor, you’ll want to be sure you trust them, that they are knowledgeable, are addressing your concerns, are attentive to your questions and have confidence they know how to help you.
Throughout the 10 years I’ve been in real estate, Steve has taught each of us to treat each of our clients with the same level of patience and care that Jeremy and I were shown when we purchased our first home.
As REALTORs, we know we aren’t perfect but we also know that strive to do what’s right and best for each of our clients. We hope that these factors will help us stand out amongst the crowd.
