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Day in the Life of a Sonoma County Realtor

Dirty dishes, dog poop, hairballs, rattle snakes, emergency room, 911, pepper spray, rats, kitty litter….

Ah, the glamorous side of real estate.

All of those words have a story behind them in the day and life of a Sonoma County Realtor.

I have scooped pooped, cleared carpets of unsightly kitty fur balls (you know the kind, like neophyte aliens ;-)), scooped up a rattlesnake during a showing (while 5 months pregnant!), called 911 over a crazy buyer, always carry pepper spray, and yes even gone to the hospital after a major tumble down some freshly lacquered oak steps. Yep, real estate is more fun than a car full of clowns!

Real estate is so much more than putting a sign in the yard and collecting a paycheck. I’ve overseen huge remodeling projects for absentee owners (with the proper liability paperwork in place) from start to finish, spent countless hours at the Building Department with clients scrolling through microfiche film (I just lost all the Millennials), watching (and smelling) septic tanks being scrubbed and inspected in the rain, removed dead rats from ponds, swimming pools and even a toilet. I remember having to ready a home for showings and each time the single father of two left me dishes, dirty laundry, and 2 pooping puppies and a litter box far too small for 2 adult cats.

I’ve harvested grapes, picked olives, milked goats, watered gardens, cleaned fish tanks, changed light bulbs (think cathedral ceilings) fostered pets, and paid bills I had not incurred. I’ve driven across 4 counties for signatures and document deliveries (before the use of electronic signatures!)…

And guess what?

I’ve LOVED every minute of it!

Real estate is also a family affair. My girls have tagged along to help move furniture, walked dogs during showings, or babysat for clients. I even had one client who was the caretaker for her elderly mother, Mom couldn’t be left alone so my paramedic husband stepped up and granny sat mom while her daughter and I went house hunting. My wonderful firefighting husband has also assisted me with other elderly clients, helping them in/out of the car and up stairs.

Our home has been a refuge for client’s delicate wine collections (so tempting to peek inside those cases), several pets have graced our home for days while their parents moved across the country. We’ve even shared a bedroom on occasion for those daring enough to live through a night at our crazy house with 3 kids, 3 dogs, and two semi sane adults.

I’ve cried with clients, laughed until I peed (yes having 4 kids helps with that), shared many meals and countless memories over the years with incredible clients, many of whom have remained as friends. Our lives have been enriched through my real estate career. If I was one of those agents who made a living by sticking a sign in the front yard, I would have missed out on the real fun this job offers.