Musing about what you would do with a multi million dollar lottery win is a favourite pastime for many. How many times has a friend asked the lottery related question "what would you do if…" and the resulting conversation became a half hour reciting of wish lists? A quick poll around the Century 21 national office indicated that if a lotto win eventuated, most of the staff here would call me to resign from a tropical island. Hmm.
I've blogged before about the need to be passionate in order to succeed in real estate, and that a love of what you do is often integral to ensuring you are good at it. This rings true for those of us in the real estate industry in particular, and it got me wondering how many agents would throw that love out the window and instantly shut up shop should they suddenly encounter a windfall of money. Surprisingly, not all! Recently a love of work has actually kept an agent from leaving the industry after her husband won $5million on a scratch and win ticket.
This agent started her business 19 years ago, and she runs an incredibly successful agency. As a result, it is her business relationships that have resulted in her keeping her doors open despite becoming a millionaire. Not only that, her concern for her staff in a volatile market also contributed to her decision to continue on with business as usual. In a market where agents are having to worker harder and smarter than many have done so for a while, the commitment of her staff to their jobs means she is in turn demonstrating her commitment to them.
I have to admit that I love what I do, and that old adage "work like you don't need the money" indicates the need to work from a sense of passion and love of it rather than just for financial gain is one that many believe in. However, I do wonder how many of us would continue to do so should we actually find ourselves legitimately not needing the money. That tropical island does have an appeal…