Community Magazine October 2019

84 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE KAREN BEHFAR Karen Behfar is a Licensed Real Estate Broker of The Behfar Team. She can be reached at 718 309 0439. The Community Speaks: How many years are you in real estate? E.S. - 7 years M.S. - 6 years R.B. - 29 years E.C. - Almost 2 years M.S. - 2 years What was your previous job? E.S. - Online advertising M.S. - Stay at home mom R.B. - Teacher E.C. - Bookkeeper and business owner M.S. - Stay at home mom What’s the biggest challenge you faced getting started in real estate? E.S. - Being that real estate can consume one’s entire day, it was hard for me to balance work while taking care of myself at the same time. Stronger buyers, who are more comfortable with the real estate scene, are coming on the market. A new pool of buyers generally comes on the market after Labor Day. Homes that were sitting longer on the market are being wrapped up as sellers realize that it’s no longer a sellers’ market. It’s definitely shifted to being a buyers’ market. At the end of the day, the buyers and their offers dictate the value of a home. Sellers’ Market vs. Buyers’ Market Two years ago, we were in a sellers’ market, where most of the homes were snatched within a month. Now, homes are sitting way longer. It’s definitely not a recession, just a correction. The market is correcting itself and, honestly, it’s giving buyers more opportunities to buy and be hopeful in general. There are definitely more options for them. Since I receive an enormous amount of questions from parents and post-high school teenagers about the real estate field, I decided to ask a few agents the following questions: M.S. - Balancing work and family. R.B. - Not having a weekly salary, being available for my children, and doing showings on my clients’ schedules. E.C. - Making sure I am confident and knowledgeable to help my clients, and time management. M.S. - The biggest challenge for me was not giving up. When going into the real estate field you’re not exactly taught how to sell. Basically, you take the course, pass, and need to learn the business. Many different situations come up. It’s hard and I learned along the way that I need to juggle work and family. What’s one tip to those starting out in real estate? E.S. - Don’t get discouraged. There’s enough business to go around for everyone, despite how many real estate agents you think there are. You won’t necessarily see money coming in instantly so it really has to be something you enjoy doing. M.S. - Always be persistent. Hard work pays off. R.B. - Persevere, it’s a great field to go into. Remember hashgachat Hashem – you’re going to get whatever you’re supposed to be getting regardless, and be honest. E.C. - Learn and educate yourself, go to open houses, and learn the market. M.S. - One method I work by is patience and persistence. Many people who work in this business think it’s easy and a fast money-making business. But it all depends on how much you put in. The more time, effort, and determination you put in, the farther you’ll go. HOME IS WHERE THE IS New Year. New Career. New Changes. Many are unsure of what to do this year and just in general, career wise. Real estate has evolved from a field that many were intimidated by, into a low barrier entry, “why not give it a shot” field. That’s the great part. The schooling is minimal and is relatively easy. On the flipside, the actual work requires an extremely high level of discipline and resilience, and a deep level of emunah . Market Update