When we first started Linscott Real Estate in 2001, we chose the slogan “Making a Difference” for our business. What does that really mean? For us its about helping people in any way that we can and having a positive impact on their lives. It is a theme that has carried through my whole life.
I would not trade my childhood in Downeast Maine if given the choice, but it was not easy. We didn’t have money for luxuries of any kind, we didn’t go on vacations or to summer camps and I worked! I had all kinds of jobs – digging clams, shoveling “real snow”, mowing lawns, and delivering newspapers. I even worked with my dad on a milk delivery truck. I remember dropping the bottles on the front steps and sprinting to outrun the dogs people left out in their yards – I was fast! In high school my jobs began to focus more on helping people. I was a restaurant bus boy and dishwasher, and then a summer recreation and 4H camp counselor. In college I worked all year for the Public Safety department at UNH and after college public service and law enforcement became my direction and I was a National Park Service Ranger and then a Maine Marine Patrol Officer.
As I later transitioned into real estate, my focus didn’t change. I wanted to help people and that didn’t always mean helping them buy or sell a home. It’s often been a lot of “extra” things; anything from moving furniture and belongings, cleaning leaves out of gutters or referring local contractors (but only when its necessary!) Last week a homeowner asked if they should repaint their walls, refinish their hardwood floors, and take down all their family photos like the TV shows advised. She was trying to figure out how much to budget for these improvements before listing her home. In our local real estate market sellers do NOT have to do all that before selling and she was so relieved that she had called me.
A few weeks ago, I met with an old friend about selling their cottage Downeast. I reached out to two of that area’s “expert” agents and met with one of them at the property. Their pricing recommendation was between $525,000 to $575,000 which after doing my own research, I felt was too low! My friends asked me to list it – it was only a 3-hour drive away! I took several trips up, once for photos and to get the feel for the area, once to dig the hole and put a for sale sign in and later to show it to a buyer from Boston. To be honest, I love driving up there – it’s so beautiful! We ended up listing the property for $700,000 and within 3 days received 3 really strong offers! Can’t wait until after the closing on June 20th to be able to reveal how well my friends did on the sale price!
Doing all the “extra stuff” for people makes me feel good. We have done well in real estate, but we don’t really think of it as a business. Its more about advising and supporting people. I did a walk through in a South Portland home yesterday and paused to check out all the 1970’s and 80’s photos of their children. It really made me feel connected to them and I know that deciding to move after living in your home for 40 years is a huge and often emotional decision. So, I am going to guide this family through the process at their pace and will be ready to help them with all the details when they are ready to put the home on the market.
It’s all about helping… Have a great June!