I have been in the property business since I was ten years old when I would accompany my father on Saturday morning open viewings. I would walk down from JCG after school and spend a couple of hours in the office whilst my parents finished up work before heading for home. Family life back then was also very organised so that has rubbed off I suppose. My property education I guess was automatically installed during those early years. My father wouldn’t however employ me as a school leaver and insisted I work elsewhere for at least a year to gain experience. Becoming a lawyer also tickled my fancy in those days so after studying law at A level I duly went off and worked for around a year at a local law firm. It wasn’t for me though and it only made me well aware that property was my forte.
The best way to learn any business is from the bottom rung of the ladder watching everyone around you and their roles too. I worked my way up without any direct aspiration to become a director but always with the continued drive and passion to learn more. The environment and excitement of sales rubbed off on me and I continued to work hard and my position evolved. In other words I would recommend anybody to take on responsibility and always work hard. The end result is usually down to your drive, hunger and love for the job not where you start out.
I always look forward to the school pick up when I can really enjoy my children’s company and have those precious couple of hours of fun together before supper, bathtime and homework when routine takes over again.
The real estate business is a full on occupation which can easily consume you 24/7. Probably the hardest part to deal with is on the rare occasion when you are out for an evening and in a good frame of mind to switch off, but it seems all anybody wants to talk about is the property market.
SOME QUESTIONS FOR ERICA:
Question: What do you do to unwind at the end of a long day?
Answer: I unwind by doing some household chores, and believe it or not I find ironing very therapeutic.
Question: What do you like the most about being a Property Negotiator? Answer: The buzz of making a deal keeps me hooked.
Question: What do you dislike most about being a Property Negotiator? Answer: When a deal collapses after weeks or even months of negotiation.
Question: How did you become a Property Negotiator? Answer: It’s in my blood, there was never really another option.
Question: What advice would you give someone, either just starting their career or midway through their career, who wants to be a Property Negotiator? Answer: Firstly it’s not the easiest and most glamorous job everybody thinks it is, and you need to be professional at all times and ensure you know what you are talking about. Terminology and the law are very important.
INTEGRITY 20/20 A day in the life of... Page 99
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