Kelly Curran
Welcome to “Letters from,” a column that examines the intimate thoughts of members of the real estate industry.
Name: Kelly Curran
Role: Real estate broker, mom, real estate investor (buy-and-hold and fix-and-flip), traveler
Years in business: 15
www.thecurranteam.com | https://www.facebook.com/
1. Why did you get into this business?
With a baby, I thought it was a great way to keep an income and be able to work less hours. (Haha!)
2. What is the biggest challenge you face right now in your business?
Keeping a steady pace, not get pulled at a million miles an hour, maintaining marketing no matter how hectic the day is and finding new clients.
3. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started the business?
You don’t need to buy into everything that gets pushed on you from outside companies. As long as you have a card or notepad and paper and are willing to ask the question, “Who do you know who is looking to buy or sell a house?” to anyone you run across, you will be successful.
The more you tell yourself you can’t do something, you feel embarrassed to ask or you have a million other reasons to not do it, the longer it will take to succeed. Buying leads is a lengthier path to success.
4. Who has made the biggest positive impact on your business?
Having a coach — I have had two, and although neither one of them were real estate coaches, each were highly successful in their respective businesses.
They have gotten me to do more and grow my business farther than I thought possible the first day I spoke with them.
5. What is one thing someone could do to help you in your business?
Keep me organized.
6. What tool has made the biggest positive impact on your business?
I am not a “techie,” so my calendar is important. I also have a notebook that I use to jot down everything that needs to get done each day. Besides that, I use dotloop and MLS apps, and I use ShowingTime to be able to make showing appointments on the fly.
7. What do you think is going to be the biggest change in real estate in the next 5 years?
To a certain extent, it’s only going to get more automated. There are a lot of articles about how agents are going to be obsolete, but I think it will always remain a person-to-person business.
Buyers and sellers need to know you and trust that you are going to be working for them 100 percent. They need to feel that you completely understand their priorities.
Every house is different — even if they are in the same neighborhood and constructed by the same builder. Some are better cared for and have a better yard or neighborhood location. Some have a bigger driveway and other things that make your life easier — things you can’t see in pictures.
Most people are buying the biggest purchase of their lives, and it’s not something to take lightly. There are no free returns, and in most cases, people sign up for a 30-year debt in order to pay for it. It is my hope that professionals who help navigate this process will become more valuable.
Going to back to changes in the next five years, I think back to when I started — when you had to wait by the fax machine for MLS updates that told you what was new on the market, under contract and sold.
Now, my phone dings when someone lists or sells a house in a neighborhood I’m interested in.
For more letters, check out Marian Keriakos.
Cheryl Spangler is an associate broker with eXp Realty LLC and founder of The Rich Niche Academy for Real Estate Professionals. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
