My real estate license came shortly after graduating with a business degree from WSU, so right about 16 years.

 

The MLS says I am coming up on 500.

 

Born and raised in Spokane, but it wasn’t until after living in different parts of the country that it became clear to me how great and genuine the people from Spokane are. We have a much different vibe that really is great. One of my first memories of leaving Southern California was walking into a store in Spokane and the guy in front of me paused, held the door open for me and said “hi.” Not something you get much of as a 22-year-old kid living in Palm Springs.

I can remember staying up late at night as a kid drawing pictures of houses with my mom. So really she helped create the base for my love of architecture and house styles.

The recession…I now see it as a wonderful learning experience but I spent the majority of my early years of real estate during the recession (not a great time to try and earn a living as a real estate agent). Any agent that was able to weather that storm and is still around has a really well-rounded understanding of the roller coaster real estate can be. I am grateful to have made it out to the other end of that tunnel.

 

Like most new agents, during your first couple of years, you end up relying heavily on your family and friends, such as a brother or uncle that wants to buy a house; that kind of thing. But I was also very fortunate to be able to “team up” with my dad to get my name out. My dad has run a successful estate company business for 30+ years. I say “Team up with him," but really I grabbed his coattails and hung on for the ride. With every appointment he had, I would be standing right behind him ready to push my business card into the hands of anyone that would take it. For those of you that know him, you know he would rather help someone for free that needed his help than to make money doing something he didn’t love. His love for helping people is hard to describe. If I can provide my clients with half of the value he creates I can go home knowing I made a big difference.

As a new agent starting your career in the recession, you don’t always get listings that are in above-average condition. I remember having happy sellers and happy buyers but the deal would fall apart due to the potential of lead-based paint on the fence out back or… substitute any of the items that can assist in a deal falling apart. It was hard to watch buyers miss out on their dream homes for reasons out of their control. Hence my passion for Greenstone Homes! Not only are they building incredible communities but they don’t paint their fences with led based paint! Since joining Greenstone Homes back in 2012, I have been able to continue my love for all things real estate. I am able to work with the architects to understand why homes are built the way they are and better my understanding of why a proper development should have parks, trails and road with sidewalks on BOTH sides of the street. Selling Greenstone homes has re-energized my love for all things real estate.

 

He might remember the story differently but it was all Eric Tucker’s fault. I had just signed with John L Scott Real Estate and was so excited to show up to my first day of work. I was assigned to a very small 3-sided cubicle in the “bullpen." After sitting there for a couple of minutes, staring at the wall, I realized I had nothing to do and no idea what to do next. This is when I met Eric. He also realized I had no idea what I was doing and this was his chance to take advantage of the new guy. He was quick to the point, “Hi, what’s your name, do you know anything about new construction?” Within minutes we were on our way to Airway Heights to see this new development he found. That might have been the last time he was out on site, meanwhile, I received four years of invaluable lessons on how to run a community. Eric, if you are reading this article – Thank you.

I truly love new construction and have found a great appreciation for all builders in this area. In recent years, the Spokane area has gained the attention of national-level builders. This has allowed us (Greenstone) the ability to size up our competition or really just step up our game. Every builder in this area has a different plan, a different level of what value means to them, and that’s great, we need more homes. I just know what makes us different is our attention to building communities first. We build incredible homes but our communities are what sets us apart.    

 

Just months after Covid hit, I had some pretty significant health scares that made me realize the importance of what matters most, family. I love spending time with my family. My wife and I spend most afternoons carting the kids off to the next activity. We seem to thrive when our calendar is full, we don’t like being bored. My wife even has a shirt that describes her as the “chaos coordinator," and that fits, she keeps the family in motion. My daughter, Blakely, loves everything a nine-year-old girl, going on 16, can love in life. She is heavily involved in dance and cheerleading. She claims when she grows up she is going to be a dog walker and a cheerleader. My seven-year-old boy, Easton, is as aggressive as a boy gets. His only frustration with sports is that seven-year-olds aren't allowed to play tackle football.

 

Luke 1:37. "Faith does not make things easy but rather it makes them possible."