Quick answers:

How many years have you been a REALTOR®? A few months away from five years!

What is your career volume as a REALTOR®?$87M

What was your total volume last year? $22M

 

It all started the summer going into my senior year of college. I was home working an internship for my degree in construction management and had a short eight weeks before having to report back to school early for fall camp in football. I was talking with a construction company about coming to work for them right out of college and knew one of the higher-up guys there really well and was planning on joining that company after graduation. I would also work at the Fairways golf course during my weekends to earn some extra income and got to know the owner of the golf course really well, who is a very well-known developer in the area, and always thought that real estate development/construction was very interesting. I told the construction recruiter I was thinking about going the real estate route and he told me I should reach out to a guy named Zac Scott to pick his brain about being an agent and also development. 

My dad was a college football coach at Central Washington for 12 years before coming over to the Spokane area to be a coach at Eastern Washington and actually was Zac’s coach when Zac was playing college football. Zac and I stayed in touch throughout my senior year and during winter break, I met up with Zac to have coffee and see him for the first time since I was five years old back when he was a football player for my dad. He then asked if I wanted to get my license while finishing up the last two quarters of my degree and then when I graduated, come over to start working with him as a business partner for real estate. I had no knowledge of anything real estate related at all but knew I wanted to do something different and kept feeling a nudge to take him up on it. Man, I am so glad I did. I love my job and the opportunities it provides me with each and every day.

 

I am still working directly with Zac and he has been awesome to work with and learn from. We have grown our team to another licensed agent as well, Kyler Cuchessi, and she has been doing a great job helping us with anything and everything we need as well as starting to get her own clients. The other two agents who I owe a lot to and who have taught me so much are the other two founders of Avalon 24, Patrick Libey and Joel Elgee. Between Zac, Patrick and Joel, it has been the best experience I could have ever imagined because not only are they very successful in the real estate business, but incredible guys to be around in any life aspect, too. I tell anyone I meet or know that’s trying to figure out what kind of job they want to do that 90% of it is making sure you enjoy the people you are working with because it makes the ultimate difference in your quality of life.

I love getting to connect with so many people within the community. I really enjoy being able to drive around Spokane and notice projects that clients on peers are in the process of and seeing new growth in the community. The other part I find rewarding about my job is running into a client at a restaurant or at the store and being able to catch up with them. Whether it’s a new client or past client, I love meeting and reconnecting with people to listen to their stories or creating the start to a new relationship.

 

I have had a lot of cool and memorable closings, from helping some of my closest friends into their first homes to helping people relocate to the area and having those clients become like a second family to me. I would have to say though, that the one that sticks out to me every time is representing the buyer on the highest-priced residential property in Spokane County to date. That one was really cool.

 

Currently, it’s my wife Rachael and I with our two dogs, Silas, the charcoal lab, and Bo the Aussie Golden Doodle. I say currently because my wife and I are expecting our first baby at the end of September! We love spending time with our two good boys going on walks, and hosting any of our friends/family. Our favorite thing to do is serving in the kid’s classroom at our church. Rachael usually takes on the one-year-olds and I am in the two-year-olds. It’s our favorite way to spend a few hours on a weekend!

 

Kind of like the real estate story, my senior year of college I started my own charity called Presents with a Purpose. It’s a local non-profit serving schools in Spokane & Kootenai counties. We team up with the principals and counselors at these schools to determine some students who might not get Christmas presents during the holiday season or are in need of specific items (bedding, coats, food, etc.). I wanted to make it very personal and special for the students, so we ask the schools to give us a four-item wish list per student. We then either hand out the lists to people who want to sponsor a family to do the shopping, or collect donations from the community and shop for the children ourselves!

 

I feel like that’s a tough one because so many people have so many different recipes for their success in their business, but I would have to say the number one most important thing is to treat everyone well and with respect. Sometimes taking the high road, even if it sucks, can lead to a lot less headaches and even may help for future business, too. The other one I would say is don’t get too high or too low on emotions. This business comes in waves and enjoying it while it’s good is great, but know it might slow down and that’s OK, too!

 

One of my favorite pastors uses an awesome acronym that I try to remind myself in business, life and my marriage. Being H.O.T. (humble, open and transparent). I want to be this way to my clients, peers and everyone else I meet because I feel like all three of those can help greatly with anything you’re going through or growing through.