I’ve always loved houses, and from a young age, I believed that my future and career would be in that sphere. I never dreamed that I would be in the industry as a Realtor, but it suddenly seemed like the most natural thing in the world. ???I carefully tugged at the corner of the magazine page, careful not to rip the sheet anywhere other than the edge. When I’d successfully pulled the page out, I added it to the growing stack I had next to me and tossed the magazine aside. I wasn’t interested in the articles or interviews. I also didn’t care about the photos in the glossy ads. There was only one page that I was interested in.???The stack of papers in question were taken from numerous publications and all had the same thing on them: floor plans. I admit that it’s a bit of an unusual hobby for a kid, but from a young age, I was fascinated by houses. Not just the finished product, but everything that went into making them. The way they were built and especially designed. The fact that they started as an idea in someone's head and became homes that people lived in or skyscrapers where people worked.???I had a certain level of awareness that most don’t have at that age. The logical career choice to little-kid me was to become an architect. Of course, as soon as I began looking into the full scope of the job, I discovered it was math-intensive and spending days on seemingly endless equations was not my idea of a fun career. In high school, I began to look into mechanical drafting. I even did that professionally for a while, working with a contractor before I’d even graduated.???My taste for real estate likely came from my mother. She had a license—still does—and real estate, along with owning homes, was always a big thing in my family. My mom wasn’t so much interested in being a Realtor as she wanted to be knowledgeable enough to make her own transactions. And she certainly was! At 18 she bought her first house! So I knew about Realtors and licenses but still didn’t imagine that would become my job.???After high school, I unsurprisingly began looking for jobs in the real estate industry. My fascination with homes still existed, but I didn’t know what the right direction was for me. That was how I fell into mortgages. With the help of a mentor, I actually began to learn about the industry. Not just the homes as buildings, but how the market worked, what went into getting a loan, and the individual steps of the transaction process. It was something I was good at and did for a long while. The flip into being an agent happened over time.???I’m part of a big family, and because of my job, they would come to me for advice when it came to Realtors. I would refer them out time and time again. After a while, I began thinking. This almost feels like adding in a middle man. I could help them myself. I have experience and knowledge and could personally take care of the people close to me. On top of that, I was ready to move on from mortgages. It was long hours doing paperwork in a cramped office. I was ready to break free!???I never thought of myself as a salesperson, and those early transactions were about anything but that. I was more concerned with my family and friends finding a home. Since then, that mentality has stayed with me. I’m not just trying to make a sale. I’m trying to find my client their new sanctuary. I’d love to have the chance to find you a home of your own as well!