My Successful Real Estate Career

I have been thinking about my 18 years in Real Estate Sales - my second career after 20+ years in corporate finance. When I took the plunge and got my license in 2002 it was a "hot market" and I was very fortunate to hit the ground running.  Then we experienced the great recession. I was President of our 1,000 member regional Traverse Area  Association Realtors where we experienced a 40% drop in membership and I along with a great group of leaders in our industry navigated through all the ups and downs of a very troubled real estate market. We got to the other side, learned a lot and have great insight as a result.

Real Estate sales are celebrated annually measured in terms of  total sales dollars.  I am not the top dollar agent in my market however I have done really well ($2.5 million in 2019) and am grateful to each and every one of my clients.  I take most pride in the clients I have helped - both buyers and sellers - and where I have helped them achieve their dreams.  I was reminded of this when I saw a social media post by the owners of this  charming cabin on 10 acres with 1,000 ft. of frontage on the N. Branch of the Boardman River, 3.5 miles off a main road surrounded by hundreds of acres of state land with the exception of a few surrounding cabins and 20 minutes to Traverse City.

The current owners were celebrating their first overnight stay four years ago. This beautiful family has an abundance of children, spouses, grandchildren, family and friends who are the lucky beneficiaries of their generosity, love and kindness. They purchased this property with the hope of it becoming a legacy property and that is exactly what it has become. In fact, they even shared it for a week with the prior owner who had to sell when her job took her to Pennsylvania. I found myself smiling as I read all the comments from those who have visited and enjoyed their hospitality.

I most recently have helped a number of people sell in order to downsize and move on to the next phase of their lives; helped families find their legacy cottage to enjoy with their families; assisted a newly engaged couple purchase their Up North dream home on Starvation Lake, and so many other stories as I scroll through my closed sales.

Real estate is a people business and my goal has always been to help a client achieve their goals. I never list or sell more properties in a year than I am capable of delivering superior service. My service, reputation and ethics are everything to me. If these same qualities are important to you, let's talk. Here is link to my web page  if you would like to learn more about me.

Mary Janik, 231-384-1207, mary@homewaters.net