Yes, And...

Hi, and welcome to my blog! The title of this blog post, Yes, And, introduces a theme that I will continue to build upon as I add content here. I’ll start by stating my intention, and explaining my thoughts and motivations for writing a blog in the first place. Because, honestly, does anyone still read these things? 

Let’s get this first part out of the way. I am a REALTOR®. So, YES, I want to sell your house! And yes, I want to help you buy a house! And, also yes, I want to help your mom/friend/coworker/ex-whomever buy/sell their houses too! Of course I want to do those things - I am passionate about my career, I love helping people buy and sell real estate, and, quite frankly, it allows me to provide for my wonderful family and better my community. There, I said it! I earn money doing this, it’s my career, and I work really hard to earn the business and referrals of my friends, family and previous clients. It is truly bizarre how hard it is to make that statement, but I’m being honest here so, that is the “yes.”

But then there’s the and. 

“Yes, and” is a famous technique used by improv actors and comedians to build a scene. The concept is simple; when you work with a scene partner to improvise a skit, you carefully listen to what your partner is doing and saying. You buy into it. You accept it with a “yes,” and then you add to it, with your “and.” Masterful improv artists do this all the time, and it creates amazing comedy. But the “yes, and” approach has also been embraced by business leaders and life coaches, and today I’m sharing how I apply it to my work in real estate, and specifically to this blog. 

When I meet a new client or sit down with an old friend to start the process of buying or selling a home, I always start by listening. Truly listening to someone explain their goals, motivations, fears, doubts and hopes is the key. I take it in, accept it with my “yes,” and then it’s time for my “and.” Here I add my side, share my expertise, dispel worries or add in factors that may not have yet been considered. And throughout the process of buying or selling a home it is my goal to repeat the “yes, and” approach all the way to the finish line. To collaborate with my client and find the best way for me to help them reach their goals.

The “and” of this blog will be the additional knowledge and passion I have for this city, for these neighborhoods, for homes, and for life in general. My posts and content will always tie back into the theme of buying and selling real estate in Denver, but this is not going to be a place for market updates, staging tips, curb appeal, and blah blah blah I’m already bored. There are a million blogs about those things and I’m not looking to just add content to this blog for the heck of it. I aim to create something interesting, an “and” that adds to my life, for writing it and creating it, and to yours, for taking the time to read it.

So, this is my promise and intention to myself, and to you, my reader. I am not writing this blog for SEO purposes! That was my old job, and it’s not the goal here. I am writing, “yes, and” to be honest about who I am, and to provide a space to share what I am passionate about. There will be Denver neighborhood information, my favorite coffee shops and restaurants (but not lists, well, probably not lists), experiences I have while selling homes that I think should be shared because they may help others, projects I’m working on in my house and garden, and also, I don’t know what else. I’m leaping, and I hope you enjoy the fall. (I’m going for more of a Casa Bonita-style graceful swan dive than a flailing Muppet tumble. Wish me luck).