John Tebbutt
SalespersonI didn’t always plan on being a realtor. In fact, I spent much of my life in a regular nine to five job that I didn’t really enjoy. I wasn’t taking care of myself, and honestly life wasn’t going anywhere. I was dissatisfied, and it felt like I had to compromise on everything.
I settled for a life that I didn’t love. In my old apartment, there was no air conditioning. No dishwasher. No sink. No counter space. I had to walk two blocks to do my laundry. It was loud and dirty – not at all what I would want for anyone that I cared about. So why did I accept it for myself?
Like a lot of people, I didn’t take action to make a better life for myself. Why would I? I was stable. Life wasn’t falling apart at the seams. But there was a longing for more that I didn’t know how to achieve.
I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but the limitations of my mindset caused many things to fall by the wayside. When you don’t feel like you deserve better, everything suffers. Health, finances, relationships, your future.
A big change for me came when my best friend Jamie came to me with a dilemma. He and his wife were a typical downtown couple, but they were looking towards the future. He was unsure if they should buy a condo downtown and continue their same lifestyle, or make a change and buy a house in the suburbs. At the time I wasn’t in real estate, it was just a friend asking another friend for advice.
I knew that Jamie wanted to have children, a dog, and all the rest. It would have been easy to tell him to stay downtown and keep living the same way we were living for another few years. But I knew in my heart that it wasn’t the right fit for him. He needed a space to grow into his new life. I convinced him to buy that house in the suburbs – and now he thanks me for it!
The major lesson I learned from this is that you do yourself a disservice by delaying action. Especially when you have a much more satisfying life right in front of you. I knew it was time for Jamie to make that change, and I quickly realized that it was time for me as well. I spent many years living a life that I had already outgrown. That’s not living. It’s certainly not living your dreams. It’s compromise, limitation and stagnation.
As a realtor, people invite me into their homes and give me a glimpse of their lives. Over the years I’ve recognized elements of my old situation in many of my clients. Not the terrible apartment, but the mindset. I always remember the advice I gave Jamie. He needed to make a change in his life, but he needed someone to give him that nudge. That’s one of the reasons I became a realtor.
We’ve all met limiting circumstances in our lives. For me, it was a job that I had outgrown, and the mindset that I didn’t deserve anything better. For my clients, it could be a home that is too small to start a family. It could be a life that is stagnating by staying in place. It could be the bad habits that we use to cope with our situation.
Everyone is looking for that moment where they can say “now I’ve got room to grow and thrive. Now my life is really happening.” For me, that moment was when I decided to choose a new path.
Fundamentally, I knew I deserved better. I see that now in my clients who are hesitant to level up their life. It’s a major decision, but my clients often tell me that it’s the best decision they’ve made. And usually it’s long overdue!
That’s why helping people find their new home is so inspiring to me. It’s not just about a house. It’s about a brand new life, with room to grow. Your life is bigger than the four walls you spend your day in. It’s room to start a family. It’s a space to sip your coffee and read on the weekends. It’s a home where you can be proud to bring your friends over.
Seeing people achieve their potential is the most satisfying part of my job.