Rebecca GrayExperience: 8 years Specializations: Residential Real Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Veteran Buyers, Investors, Sellers, Short Sales Areas Served: The Greater Las Vegas Valley including Summerlin, Henderson and Boulder City Q: What made you become interested in real estate? A: My family moved to a new city when I was 13 and our Realtor was so amazing I decided then and there that I wanted to be a Realtor when I grew up. Seeing different houses and how people live is fascinating to me. Since growing up, I've found that I have a love for contracts and negotiations as well. An interesting side note: I am still in touch with our Realtor from when I was 13 (which is more than a few years ago). He is still in the business and I have referred clients to him! Q: What is the most interesting thing that happened during an open house you hosted? A: I recently hosted an invitation-only Open House for neighbors in a community. We hosted it in the evening and served wine and munchies. It turned into a neighborhood gathering where folks who have lived near each other for years finally got to meet! It turned into the most heartwarming evening....and we got the house sold too! Q: What was your favorite moment in your career so far? A: I couldn't possibly list one favorite moment. Every closing has its challenges and I'm proud every time my team overcomes adversity. I'm excited every time I hand off keys to a buyer or take keys from a seller for the final time. There's nothing more thrilling than a good negotiation and getting both sides to come to the table to put a deal together. I mentor new agents and I'm inspired when I see a new agent thriving. I got into this industry because I want to help people; every day has favorite moments. Q: What do you wish you had known when you first got your real estate license? A: I wish I had known just how hard it would be to survive in this industry. Being a Realtor and making it to stability is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Balance is hard to achieve in a commission based career; my clients require attention every day of the week. I also have a fellow and dogs at home that miss me when I'm out making dreams come true. Finding that balance and acceptable boundaries took several years. I'm so thrilled that I'm maintaining a fairly balanced and stable life, but it was a hard battle to win. When I speak with folks who want to become Realtors, I have a very honest conversation about what they can expect in this industry. Q: In what ways have you seen the real estate industry change since you started? A: I got into Real Estate during the economic downturn in one of the hardest hit cities in the entire country. We were selling houses for as low as $45K here and they were short sales, so we were working for months and months (years, in some instances) to complete one sale. Now our market is much more stable, short sales are no longer prevalent in our market, and we're enjoying 30-45 day escrows. Sellers are getting equity when they sell and buyers are purchasing homes that aren't distressed. Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job? A: Logistics, hands down, is the hardest part of my job. Making sure that inspectors, appraisers, handymen, plumbers, electricians, A/C techs, other tradespeople, buyers, sellers and fellow agents all show up where and when they need to and have all of the resources they need from me to complete their part of the process can be a challenge, but I'm very involved in every single transaction, so I always seem to make everything work out! Q: If you could sum up being a real estate agent in five words or less, what would you say? A: The most rewarding career!
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