Joye Norwood

I attribute my success to continuing education. I work daily to ensure I stay up to date with what is going on in the real estate market. Additionally, I am learning how to help my clients get their houses sold faster and assisting my buyer clients with finding homes on and off-market to ensure they get the perfect home for them.

It takes time to learn what you need to know. Learning information is like an elephant, you have to do it one bite at a time. However, at some point you have to get out and start doing the work while learning as well. You have to be able to put what you have learned into practice.

I tell people that this industry is a marathon, not a sprint. I have seen people sprint that are not in business anymore because they didn't build a good foundation. They may have had a lot of friends or family that were in the market at one time. Also, when things were flying out the water during 2020-2021 they were able to obtain transactions and things moved really fast for them, but they weren't able to sustain that. You need to understand that it takes time to grow this business. Be willing to put in the work. It's not like what you see on TV - maybe eventually it could be something similar once you've built your business, but it takes time. You may work more hours for yourself than you work for someone else, at least starting out. You have to take it seriously if you want to sustain in this industry. You have to be willing to invest in yourself. Sometimes starting out, you may have to start part-time or use funds from something else to help you stay afloat until you can get to the level you want to be at in this business, unless you have someone else that can back you. It would probably be difficult to do this full-time until you build your clientele and build your name in the business. Some people get into it thinking it's one thing, and then they get out because it's not what they think it is. Just come in knowing that you will have to put in work, and it does take time. Being successful in this business does not happen overnight.

One of the larger challenges is dealing with the changes in the market, particularly with interest rates. That can affect some people wanting to buy or how much they're able to afford. Some people may not choose to move forward or may not choose to want to sell at that time due to these increases that we have had. It doesn't mean no one is buying or selling, but it may have slowed down that process. You have to find ways to overcome those things, but it definitely has been a significant challenge in the industry.

I value honesty and integrity. I treat my clients like I would want to be treated if I were in their position (whether buying or selling).