Real estate—the small-town advantage

People generally work with real estate agents when they’re in the process of making the biggest purchase of their lives. As a career, it requires exceptional interpersonal skills and a lot of responsibility. In a small town, real estate agents are often preceded by their reputations. Fortunately, positive recommendations are one important piece of doing business in a small community.

Shelley Voight enjoys almost everything about working in real estate in Creston. She’s the owner/broker of the local realty agency, Creston Valley Realty, and has been living in the valley since 1994. She’s found a fantastic climate and a great place to raise a family. In particular, she’s embraced the Creston Valley atmosphere. 

“It had always been my dream to (work in realty),” she said. “I was in the health-care field doing office work and when I would look at properties I would think, 'Oh, well, I could do that job—and do a good job.' I could cover people’s interests and help them find what they truly want.”

Working in realty

Now, as an owner and broker, Voight is living out these goals. Generally the whole team meets at the office for a coffee and chat before starting the day. Apart from showing houses, agents also process paperwork, work on the floor and do additional tasks such as comparative market analysis. The Creston Valley Realty office covers an area from Yahk to Riondel, over an hour's drive one way, which also means plenty of travel time.

Although real estate agents often work long hours, including weekends, Voight appreciates the flexibility that the position allows. Unlike in bigger centres, most Creston property showings take place during the day.

“You can work your job around your life,” said Voight. “I think that’s really an opportunity, especially for young people. If they have children, they can go to the concert at school and still book in a client in the afternoon. If your babysitter is sick it's not such a major catastrophe.”

Still, working in the real estate field isn’t for everyone. Work and sales are influenced by the season and the economy. Agents could end up in a stressful situation while they help a client navigate a sale. Real estate is also competitive by nature, although Voight claims that a respect between agents and offices is another advantage of working in a small town.

Service and honesty

With a determination to represent real estate in a positive way, Voight can truly say she loves her job. Creston Valley Realty is more than 20 years old, and has focused on being an engaged part of the community. When looking for a great real estate agent, Voight mentioned a few things that can be kept in mind.

“Service is the number 1 consideration and honesty is very important,” she said. “(Consider) that person’s built-in integrity. I think in our office we really have a good basis for all of us to be really upfront and honest. And service—it’s key to show people, but to also stay behind them, even after they’ve purchased a home.”