Realtor As Forward Horse

Secretariat is the famous American Thoroughbred racehorse became the ninth winner of the U.S. Triple Crown in 1973, setting new records in 2 of three of the events. Secretariat was a “forward horse”, bold and impatient to run his race. Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery Tweedy also was aggressive to run her race. In the 2010 movie entitled “Secretariat” there is a scene where Lucien Laurin queries Penny Chenery why she wanted him to train her horse. And Penny answers: “I was hungry and so were you”. This is another version of being forward and bold - that “fire in the belly” the desire to want something so badly you will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

The application of the story to real estate is in the selection of the agent to represent you in the purchase or sale of a home or property. Do you want an agent who is tired, only in the business part time or so busy doesn’t have time for your sale? Do you want someone who thinks they know it all and isn’t open to new ideas? OR Do you want someone who is hungry, bold, wanting the opportunity? Do you want someone who is pushing herself to always be doing the best job, staying abreast of industry trends and practices, will be aggressive in marketing and contract negotiations? If it were my house, I would select the later. I want a Realtor who is a forward thinker and mover, like a forward horse.

Another scene in the movie that I found poignant is where Penny Chenery Tweedy is confronting her brother and her husband. They were pushing her to sell Secretariat early on because of the need to raise funds to pay estate taxes, and they queried her about why she was so driven to keep going even in the possibility of losing everything should the horse not turn out to be a winner. Penny’s answer: “This isn’t about going back, this is about life being ahead of you and you run at it because you never know how far you can go unless you run!”

It is the appraiser’s job in real estate to look back at values of homes recently sold to determine the current market value of a home. BUT it is the Realtor’s job to look FORWARD into the marketplace. That is where the Realtor lives, in the future. Yes, the Realtor looks at the past to best predict how the future market will behave. BUT it is only by putting a home on the market for sale, can the Realtor run the race that is set out before her.

Each horse race is different, that is why it is so exciting! And that is what is exciting to me about helping people to buy and sell homes - the owners and buyers are different in each case, the market is constantly changing and dynamic, the agent on the other side of the transaction has his/her own unique style. It is the professional Realtor that gets her client to the finish line!

Karen Briscoe with the Huckaby Briscoe Group, Keller Williams Realty is a forward “horse” in the real estate world of Northern Virginia and would be delighted to get your home to the finish line, whether it is for buying or selling. Karen can be reached at 703-734-0192 or Homes@HBGroup.us. Or visit the HBGroup website for more information at http://www.HuckabyBriscoe.com.