By Aubre Stacknick | Global Real Estate Advisor | Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty
People ask me why I travel so much.
The answer is actually pretty simple:
Because I consider it an investment in my clients.
If you've worked with me, you already know that I don't believe great real estate representation is simply putting a property in the MLS, opening doors or negotiating a contract.
There is an enormous amount of work—and investment—that happens behind the scenes.
When I list a home, I invest in professional photography, video, marketing, preparation and the strategy necessary to give that property its best opportunity in the market.
I look at travel and relationship-building the exact same way.
Where Your Realtor Invests Matters
One of the things I believe separates good representation from great representation is where your Realtor is willing to invest.
I continually invest my own time and money back into my business.
Sometimes that means photography or video.
Sometimes it means helping coordinate contractors and preparing a property before we ever put a sign in the yard.
Sometimes it means education and studying what's happening in the market.
And sometimes it means getting on an airplane.
I'm not doing that simply because I enjoy traveling.
I'm meeting agents. I'm learning markets. I'm strengthening relationships. I'm expanding my referral network.
And I'm asking myself:
Who would I trust with one of my own clients?
Your Network Shouldn't Start the Day You Need It
This is something I've talked about in my recent blogs about relocation and why strong referral partners matter.
Real estate isn't purely local anymore.
My Pittsburgh client might sell a home here and move to Florida, Arizona, Texas or Canada.
Their son or daughter may suddenly be relocating across the country for a new job.
A past client might decide to purchase a vacation property.
An executive may be relocating into Pittsburgh and need someone here who understands not only the market, but their needs and expectations.
When that phone call comes, I don't want to start Googling agents.
I want to make a phone call to someone I know.
Someone I've met.
Someone whose business I've learned.
Someone whose standards I understand.
Someone I would trust to take care of my client.
That's the difference between simply having access to a network and actually building relationships within that network.
The Work You Don't See
When you hire a Realtor, there is a lot of work you see.
You see the photography.
You see the listing.
You see the marketing.
You see the showings.
You see the negotiations.
But there's another part of the business you probably won't see.
It's the years of relationships.
The travel.
The education.
The phone calls.
The market research.
The conversations with agents across the country and around the world.
The money continually invested back into the business.
The contractor relationships.
The referral partners.
The resources.
Those things aren't built overnight.
And they certainly shouldn't start being built the day a client needs them.
Mine are being built all the time.
I Don't Expect Opportunity to Come to Me
This is probably the simplest way I can explain my approach to real estate:
I don't expect opportunity to come to me. I invest in creating it.
If better photography can help position my client's property, I want better photography.
If video can tell the story more effectively, let's create the video.
If a contractor needs to help us solve a problem before we list, let's figure it out.
If there's an agent in another market I should know because someday one of my clients may need that relationship, I want to meet that person now—not later.
It's an investment.
And yes, sometimes I'm personally paying for it.
Because I believe building a better business ultimately creates a better experience for the people who hire me.
Your Success Is Personal to Me
I take my clients' results personally.
That changes how I operate.
I'm not simply trying to complete your transaction and move on to the next one.
I'm trying to build a business that gives the people who trust me better resources, better connections and better opportunities.
And sometimes the value of that doesn't become obvious until years later.
You may sell a home with me today and call me three years from now because you're buying somewhere else.
Your child may need an agent in another state.
Your parents may need help selling a property across the country.
A colleague may be relocating to Pittsburgh.
That's when all those relationships behind the scenes suddenly matter.
My Clients Aren't Hiring Me Just to Open Doors
This may be the most important point.
When you hire an experienced real estate advisor, you aren't simply hiring that person for the hours they spend physically standing beside you.
You're hiring everything they've built behind them.
Their experience.
Their market knowledge.
Their negotiating ability.
Their professional relationships.
Their contractor resources.
Their marketing resources.
Their referral network.
Their reputation.
And their willingness to invest in the outcome.
That's what I'm continually building.
So yes, I travel.
I invest.
I show up.
I make the introductions.
I build the relationships.
Because my clients aren't paying me simply to open doors.
They're hiring everything I've spent years building behind me.
And I believe they deserve that level of commitment.
Continue Reading
If this resonated with you, read my recent articles on why referral partners are vital when relocating, what a true global real estate network means for a client, and why your Realtor's relationships matter long before you actually need them.
Whether your next chapter is across Pittsburgh or across the world, having the right people in place before you need them can make all the difference.
Knowledge Starts with Knowing®
Aubre Stacknick
Global Real Estate Advisor
Piatt Sotheby's International Realty
Your Trusted Real Estate Sherpa
