My stress level has suddenly plummeted. By the time I got home in the middle of the afternoon, I could feel everything unwinding. I tried to keep being a grownup, but the fatigue that sets in as two years' worth of stress drains out of your existence got to me. I had no choice but to take a deep, healing nap. I woke up two hours later feeling like I'd been struck by lightning. My whole body was tingly, and I couldn't figure out whether I was really hot or really cold. I'm over most of the groggy feeling now, but I still catch myself smiling on the inside, knowing the milestone I passed today.
I don't have enough experience at the closing table to know whether the nearly hour and a half we were at the title agency was average or long. It felt long. There was a little accounting mystery behind the scenes at the agency that took a very long time to sort out, while my clients were carefully studying each page as they signed. Before noon, we were done, and I felt like a legitimate broker, not as illusory as a kid playing dress up in an old Century 21 jacket from a thrift store.
My first real estate closing was an entire year in the making. I met the buyers in late March of last year, and a month ago we made it to the closing table. By contrast, my next set of clients were done in a flash. From open house to contract was three days, and to the closing table today was six weeks. There were dozens of phone calls and emails exchanged, especially in the early weeks, and we didn't get to be together in person after that first week until the final walk-through today. I have now experienced both extremes of this business. I think I'm ready for some run-of-the-mill clients.
The first closing helped me break even financially from everything I invested into this career to date. Once my commission arrives in my account in a few days, I will be fully into the black. I am not making money hand over fist yet, but I'm not expecting to, really. I don't have the energy or drive to be one of those realtors who drives a new Mercedes every year. I am just happy not to be running a deficit anymore.
I have a couple of bottles of sparkling wine in my fridge. I had an impulse to celebrate my professional success with a little champagne (domestic), but I couldn't see us making it through an entire bottle in one weeknight. Maybe I'll get a few people together this weekend, and toast the fact that I'm feeling like I might just make it in this business. The future feels possible again.
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