I am proud of my profession and the people I share it with!!! The majority of the people in the Real Estate industry have worked long hours, studied constantly, delayed gratification, worked without pay, given their time and knowledge to others. They have contributed to their communities through charity and public service and have done so with little respect and esteem from those that may not understand the industry and the hours spent away from their families so that they may be of ultimate service to others.
So today when one of my agents shared with me an unkind exchange with a customer my heart was hit hard and I decided to research the insult to really find out where it came from. Truth is if you tell someone they are a dime a dozen that is certainly no compliment, even though its original intent may not have held so much malice.
So the story goes:
After the dime was made in 1796, people started advertising goods for “a dime a dozen.” This meant you were getting a good deal on products, such as a dozen eggs. Over time, the idiom evolved to mean the opposite. Instead of something being a good deal, it became a phrase to describe something that’s not valuable and easily available. The first known use of it in this context is believed to have occurred in 1930. From there, people picked up on the phrase’s new meaning and started using it in that context.
Synonyms for this phrase include:
- Cheap
- Common
- Usual
- Ordinary
- Run of the mill
I assure you that the agents and professionals that I know in the industry are anything but a dime a dozen!!!!! I know that when others are enjoying vacation time with their families many agents are out showing property for many hours and days and they know that they will only get paid if a contract is written and carried to fruition. There are so many steps along the way to that paycheck: Negotiations, inspections, scheduling, troubleshooting, counseling, being emotionally intelligent are to name a few of the traits and steps to get there.
I am sure there are some folks in any industry that would not make us proud but I know that to use another phrase, let’s “walk a mile in their shoes.” It is hard to know what anyone is doing in the course of their work and the miles and steps they have traveled to get there. It is really easy to look at the surface and not look at the heart of the matter.
I am so very thankful for the kind customers and fellow agents whom I know and respect. We have experienced way more kindness than the occasional insult and I will focus on those that have treated us well. It brings me to the heart and the mission statement of our business model. “The only people we have to get even with are those that have helped us.” Our list is so very very long that we will have little time to focus on anything else.
I know that you all are many things!!! One of a kind, diamond in the rough, people of excellence, honorable, courageous, team players, considerate, patient, knowledgeable, tolerant, and more than anything people I am proud to call colleagues and friends. Your value is portrayed in the way that you treat your fellow man and that is the most valuable of all things on this earth.
So as I see it, you are a great deal!!!!!
I am so in love with your heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karen Key Smith, proud broker and leader of the most amazing group of people on the planet.