This is one of the many questions that arise when I am working with clients and one of the first questions I am asked when talking with people that are thinking of getting into the industry themselves.
The story is quite unique. I never envisioned myself becoming a Realtor, I never had this career on my radar while in high school and especially not while in post-secondary school.
For as long as I can remember I had a passion for things being exact (anyone who knows me, knows this to be true) and after experiencing grade 11 accounting, becoming an accountant was a clear career choice for me. When I graduated from Notre Dame College School in Welland (Go Irish!), I went on to complete my undergrad in Accounting Co-op at Brock University in St. Catharines. While at Brock I secured a co-op placement at a fabulous accounting firm here in the Niagara Region, Crawford, Smith, & Swallow.
In addition to working at the accounting firm, I worked part-time in the evening serving in the hospitality industry. I have always loved being busy! It was through a customer at the restaurant that real estate initially got on my radar – a Broker from a local brokerage would come in frequently, suggesting that I get my license and eventually sell real estate. I registered for the courses and didn’t think much of it at the time – sounded like an interesting part-time option. In December of 2014 I successfully completed all of the requirements to become a Chartered Accountant – my career path was set – the journey was over. I loved the people I worked with and it was a secure position that I thoroughly enjoyed.
After obtaining my designation, I had decided not to complete the registration to become a real estate agent as it didn’t feel like it made sense at that point. It was in July of 2015 that I purchased my first home and a light went off inside of me. I saw how the process unfolded, the attention-to-detail that was required as a real estate agent, the ability to navigate difficult situations – I felt like the skills and experience I had obtained thus far in life would be perfectly utilized.
At that point, I knew I had to explore the registration process again. In true Darcy fashion, I interviewed at almost all of the Brokerages here in Niagara, to make sure I made the best choice for me. My plan was to sell real estate part-time, in addition to working at the accounting firm. There was no way that I would feel comfortable leaving a full-time salaried position to go to a fully commissioned sales position – especially when I had never sold anything before in my life! This plan was very short lived. About two weeks into having my license I knew it was time to give my notice at the accounting firm – I didn’t want to be juggling both – as I knew both positions deserved my undivided attention.
Here we are – almost 5 years later, the time has passed in a blink of an eye. I have had the opportunity to help over 300 families move to date. Taking the jump and making the switch into a career in real estate was a scary leap, but one that I would make over and over again.
