A Day In The Life Of A Broker

For this week’s blog post we thought it would be fun to give our readers some insight on what a day in the life of a broker looks like. Now, to preface this blog post, we have to mention that no two brokers have a similar day. The nature of this industry allows brokers the freedom to create their own day depending on what is needed of them. Here is an inside look at a typical day of BJ Connolly’s, a managing broker and owner.

If you talk to any successful person they most likely have adopted a positive daily habit. For BJ that is starting each day by writing down her gratitudes and affirmations. This daily activity reminds her of what is important, especially when life can get a little stressful. On some days, BJ even wakes up at 4am to fulfill her passion of rowing.

The first part of her work morning is then spent on the phone catching up with current clients, both buyers and sellers. If she held an open house over the weekend for a seller she will make sure to give a market update on their open house. From there they will discuss her feedback from other brokers on what else is happening between the market that might be competition for them and how they want to move forward with their listing.

For buyers, she will do a daily search on what is in the market to note any price drops or if a client wants to move forward with a property and the competition they would be facing on their offer.

“My goal is to be all in for my clients every step of the way when they are buying or selling.”

BJ is passionate about conducting her entire morning either face-to-face or over the phone. She feels that something as personal as buying or selling a home should be done with a human interaction and not all over email. She will, however, send specifics and analytics over email for her clients to follow along with during their meetings.

As an owner, managing broker, and in charge of the new construction of the Windermere Kirkland building with her husband Mike, it is safe to say BJ has her plate full. The way she manages it all is to stay ahead of what she has to do. For example on Mondays she will spend the afternoon getting ahead on her schedule – always noting her commitments for the week and where she can delegate time accordingly.

The afternoon is also a time for BJ to reach out to her past clients. This can be a family that she sold a home to as far as 15 years ago, or a new client from the past few years. If they have built equity in their home she will work to help them achieve their goals for a second time around. You may even see BJ around town touring new market listings in the afternoon or attending office meetings or educational classes. Each day is something different for BJ, which is one of the reasons she loves being a broker.

To end her productive day BJ will always do something for herself, like working out. Taking time each day to slow down and do something she loves helps keep her grounded.

Here are some more fun questions we asked BJ:

What’s your favorite thing about being a broker? 

There are a lot of good things, but for me I feel like helping someone achieve their goals is incredible. The accumulation of the process and having a happy client at the end is really a fun thing and it keeps me going.

What has been a challenge of being a broker? 

Sometimes we have challenges with a lot of the media creating a “doom and gloom” scenario for the public. Having to get past the noise and communicate to our clients that this is what we do on a daily basis can be difficult, but it all works out in the end.

How many years have you been in this business? 

I have been working with clients for 15 years, but my husband, Mike, has been doing this for 38 years so I have been around it for a long time.

Do you remember your first sale? 

Of course! It was actually my neighbors and I helped them sell their home and then buy another home. And when we were discussing what the wife wanted in a home she mentioned that she spent time with her grandmother growing up on a big wrap-around porch. We actually ended up finding her dream home with her dream porch! I always give a closing gift to all of my clients but this one was really special. I coordinated with her husband to distract her one afternoon while I quietly set up some white wicker furniture for her porch, like the ones her grandmother had. I then knocked on her door and called her outside to talk. When she saw what I had set up she started crying and was so amazed. It really made my day and was a great first experience as a broker.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about becoming a broker? 

If you are thinking about becoming a broker talk to a number of brokers before making the decision. A lot of people think it is a 9-5 job but you really have to be prepared to be flexible with evening calls, weekend showings, and everything in between. Then once you decide you want to be a broker talk to a lot of different offices because each one has its own culture that really makes a difference in your day-to-day. And lastly, I would say pick an area that you love and actually want to work in because each area will offer something different.

So what’s the “something different” about Kirkland?

Kirkland still has that really cool small town vibe even though there is hustle and bustle all around us. I love that the people that work and live here love it and they are always friendly with a smile on their face.

Our goal at Windermere Kirkland is to be a resource for the community. Aside from helping you buy or sell your home, our team is dedicated to adding value to our city. Every other Tuesday we will be posting a blog post highlighting different people, businesses, communities, and more throughout Kirkland. Stay tuned!