Open House Chaos… and Success!
People always say to me that it must be nice to be a Realtor-Mom because my schedule is flexible; so I can be around when my kids need me, and work when they don’t. Let’s just be real for a second, though. You’ve been around small children before, right? Have you ever noticed large blocks of time when they don’t need an authority figure? Or is it just my offspring who will seek and consume whatever toxic substance exists within our home as soon as they are left alone for more than 3.5 seconds? And then there’s the fact that people who are looking to make one of the largest purchases and/or sales of their years/lives aren’t super into being pushed to the back burner in lieu of potty training. So, you know, while Mommying and Realtorness sound like they should go hand in hand, it’s nothing but a tightrope walk of responsibilities when you get right down to it.
Case in point: Yesterday was my sweet Minion of Darkness (AKA: Jonas, child numero three)’s third birthday. It was also the best possible option for an open house on my newish listing in Ahwatukee. Last weekend was a holiday (thus not optimal for maximum traffic) and Saturday this weekend was the first set of soccer games of the season for the other two offspring. So, keeping in mind that if Jonas’s birthday had fallen on a weekday, my husband would not have taken the day off of work, I scheduled the open house and attempted to plan birthday fun around it.
Here’s how it went:
5:30 AM (Sunday morning. Just in case you wondered) – Eyelids leaped open, jumped out of bed to finish wrapping presents and commence Realtorfication Beauty Process.
7 AM – Fam was hustled into the GOV and over to Jonas’s breakfast joint of choice, Dunkin Donuts, to enjoy a lovely family sugar rush together.
7:30 AM – Back home, present opening time! Pillow pet sufficiently appreciated.
8-9 AM – Fliers printed, open house signs loaded into car, other Realtory gear organized and loaded.
9-9:43 AM – Balloons purchased, trek to open house made.
9:43 AM – Arrived at listing. Dug through purse and realized that although I have signs, fliers, business cards, Flip video camera, laptop, balloons, awesome zebra print skirt and general house-selling skillz, I do NOT have my lockbox key, which will allow me access to the house. Thus rendering all other supplies null and void.
9:44 AM – Internally debated merits of turning around and driving 40 minutes home to get lockbox key, versus the humiliation of calling client to have her come let me in to her house to hold it open.
9:45 AM – Decided desire to appear professional < need to get house open to the public sooner than 1.5 hours late. Called client. Groveled. Blamed birthday child for scattered brain. 10 AM - Placed open house signs and balloons. One balloon escaped. Environment and open house were both ruined. 10 AM - 2 PM - Crazy busy open house ensued! Lots of traffic! Lots of positive feedback! No meal planning or grocery list making occurred. Much missing of family birthday fun did, however. 2PM - Picked up open house signs. Every single balloon popped. Obviously balloons and Ahwatukee do not like each other. Or my Realtor nemesis was stalking me and cold-heartedly assassinated my open-house advertisements. It's possible. Does this little illustration of my life help you understand why I flicked that mommy on the playground in the forehead the other day when she suggested it is so great that I have a 'flexible job'? Will you testify on my behalf? Anyway, I did manage to sneak in a quick walking video of the property while I was there. Take a look, just in case you're in the market for an Ahwatukee cutie: