This time I'm really thankful.
Last Thanksgiving I tried hard to get with the seasonal spirit by posting something about being a thankful guy, but even I didn't think it rang true, and I'm my biggest fan. So this year I'll try again, and this time I'll do it with feeling.
It won't be hard. 2011 has been a great year for me, although I say this with awe and humility, since it's been a lousy year for many in real estate and in the real world. The last time I checked I was sixth out of about ninety agents in my office, and in the top 100 regionally, which is pretty hot stuff in my little world.
But a good year is more than just ranking and the fame and choicer cubicle attached thereto. This year, as every year, I've been extremely fortunate to have great clients. Not every agent can say this.
I know this. A few years ago I ran across something at an office work station that another agent had printed, then forgotten and left for callous prying eyes to read. So, naturally, I started reading it. Immediately I realized that I held in my hand something intensely personal and almost sacred—someone's heartfelt aspirations for a happier, more fulfilling life—so, naturally, I read the whole thing. Most of it was predictable, and probably interchangeable with the intensely personal and almost sacred aspirations of everyone else who, like this agent, is neither sinner nor particularly a saint, but one thing floored me.
Please, it said, let me work with clients I like.
Huh? I said then, and say now.
Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe I'm just selective, but I've liked—really liked—every client I've worked with for any length of time. My clients have always seemed smarter, better-adjusted and better-looking than average. Or maybe, in all humility, it's a matter of self-selection. Because I've known for a long time that if an agent comes across as a jerk, he gives me a pretty good handle on his clients, and vice versa.
Working with so many great people has introduced me to a fascinating and wide-ranging slice of Silicon Valley. Simply put, my clients and people like them are a big part of what makes this area so special. That's why I have so little patience with anyone who says that those who buy a home in pricey Silicon Valley are fools. Optimists? Yes, my clients are invariably optimists, and they've taught me that prudent optimism separates the winners from the also-rans. Many of my clients are also relatively recent arrivals, and they've taught me that new blood rejuvenates an area. The old-timers, on the other hand, teach me that Silicon Valley was a special place long before the dot-commers hit town.
Then there's this added bonus: when a few weeks ago young clients with a newborn asked me if I have kids, I said, "No. I live vicariously through my first-time buyers." What a great life: all dote, no diapers!
Finally, I give thanks that I've somehow managed to stay relevant to today's demanding and better-informed buyers while other agents haven't. It's touching and even pathetic to hear a veteran agent who's not doing much business say, "buyers don't need us anymore" and know that they do, as much as ever, and that they're willing to be convinced of this.
Truly, this area and its people are extraordinary. And truly, I'm fortunate to be able to do what I do.