Dear Friends...

Dear Friends and fellow Real Estate Agents,

This week we took some moments to reflect upon the 30+ years that we’ve been in the Real Estate Industry. 

I remember walking house to house pulling my two girls in a wagon, handing out my business cards door to door (the old fashioned version of social networking). I remember feeling the stress of the effects of the ’94 Northridge Earthquake and watching 100% of my escrows and pending sales fall through. I remember trying to reassure our kids during the first recession, that everything would be fine, and then again when one of them graduated college and needed to move home in the middle of the second recession. Not to mention the effects after the horrific events taking place on 9/11. 

To say that the real estate business has been cyclical over the past 30 years is a comically massive understatement. Many of us who have been in the business long enough are familiar with having to adjust the way we do business and enlist new strategies in order to come out on the other side of whatever worldwide or local crisis we are in. 

And now here we are faced with another unexpected turn of events. In this case, it might be too soon to know for sure what the actual long-term impact of the Coronavirus will be on Realtors. There’s no doubt that some agents are being negatively impacted in the short term… and on the other hand, with interest rates being so low, there’s a lot of opportunities for investors that weren’t previously there. 

Every week there’s a new headline. Every week there’s a new update. Some news has been encouraging, and lots of news has been disheartening, discouraging and tragic. We daily walk in times that are uncertain towards a future that is still laden with many question marks. 

So to my friends and fellow real estate agents, I wanted to encourage you with some truth. First, many of us have treaded through unsteady and uncertain seasons and know that if we can all just hang in there a little bit, things will eventually get back to normal. We WILL make it through this season, as we have the seasons that have come before it. 

Secondly, my business decisions and dealings are not based on ever-changing circumstances. I make my decisions based upon my personal values, beliefs, and character - those are things that do not change over time, unlike our present circumstances.  At this time I’m hoping that my words encourage you when I repeat again what I’ve said from the beginning of opening Metcalf Property Management, and to many of you personally. All referral business sent to MPM by an agent will be returned when or if that property owner decides it is time to sell. We respect, deeply value and honor our relationships with you all, and therefore return your clients back to you if they intend to sell their home. And in this time of uncertainty, that is a truth you can rest and rely on. 

We value you, we pledge to uphold the integrity of our relationships with you, and we will make it out the other side of yet another crisis.

Warmly, 

Mike