Realtor David Lemon likes a challenge, which makes real estate a good fit for him.
Think back to January of this year, and how quickly the time since then has passed. Lemon hadn’t even started the process of becoming a Realtor at that point. But since February, he’s taken the class, passed the test, found an office to call home, closed deals, and has more closings pending.
Clearly, Lemon not only likes a challenge, but also is good at tackling them head on.
“I like the challenge of helping people,” he says. “You have to narrow down their search to a few homes, then see what they like about each one, and then get their choices down to where you hit the nail on the head. Then the challenge of negotiating kicks in as you go back and forth with the other agent, trying to strike the best deal for your client.”
Lemon tells a story about how he drove a man and wife from Chattanooga to Dunlap, then from Dunlap to Cleveland, then from Cleveland to Ringgold, then from Ringgold to LaFayette – all in an attempt to find them a suitable home. They had five children, so finding a house in range of multiple quality schools was key. They also wanted a certain number of bedrooms and plenty of running room outside. And they were on a tight budget.
At the end of the day, the client literally told Lemon he’d hit the proverbial nail on the head.
At 59, Lemon is no spring chicken – when it comes to sales. He currently employs many of the same skills he used in his previous job, which involved selling medical equipment to doctors and patients. It also involved selling himself – something he still does as a Realtor.
“If I’m going to represent a seller, and everyone else out there wants the same guy, then I have to convince him I’m the best agent for the job,” Lemon says.
Lemon is such a natural, many of the agents with whom he’s worked didn’t realize he’s the new kid on the block.
Lemon says it was his age, and laughs. He’s partially correct, though. Who in his right mind would go into real estate now? Surely this guy has been around the block a time or two, the other agents must have thought.
In actuality, Lemon had no qualms about switching to real estate. “I called a friend in Baton Rouge who’s been in real estate for years. And he said if I’d called him three years ago, he would’ve told me to run from real estate, but that now is a great time to get started. The market is shrinking, which is making the prices of homes go up. At the same time, rates are down, so if a person has the credit, this is a good time to buy,” he says.
Lemon’s explanation makes sense, but leaves unanswered the question of why he quit his previous job. Frankly, he says, the medical sales industry was changing, and he didn’t like where it was headed. But more than that, Lemon says real estate is what he’s meant to do in this season of his life.
“My first sale was exciting because it meant I was going to get a paycheck,” he says, laughing again. “But also, that’s when I knew this is what I’m supposed to be doing. Some folks say if you get one sale your first year, you’re doing good, but that deal closed quickly, and I have two more closing this month and three more closing next month.”
When Lemon says real estate is what he’s meant to do, he’s talking about what he believes is the hand of God in his life. He says he prays each morning for strength, wisdom and for God to show him what to do.
Lemon also prayed as he was searching for a real estate home, and he believes Herman Walldorf & Company, and small real estate firm launched in the 1930’s, was the answer. “When I saw what they had to offer, I thought they’d be a good fit for me. They’re actually a great fit for me. The help and support they’ve given me has been great. I could not have wound up working for a better group of people,” he says.
As all new Realtors discover, Lemon has had to make some adjustments since becoming an agent. While he was used to working on commission, going from a 9-5 to a 24/7 job hasn’t been easy for him or his family. Fortunately, his wife of 22 years, Susan, and their daughters, Danielle and Alex, are behind him 100 percent. Danielle is a college student at UTC, so the transition has been easier for her than Alex, who’s in eighth grade, but the youngest in the family is handling the transition well.
When Lemon is able to spend time with his family, he likes to take in the “beautiful sunsets” they can see from the porch of their Ooltewah home and attend services together at Silverdale Baptist. Being from Baton Rouge, La., they also enjoy following the LSU Tigers during football season.
“I was driving clients from Georgia around the other day, and they said they didn’t know how they felt about being in an LSU car,” he says, laughing one last time.
Just like Lemon felt led to real estate, ten years ago, he and his wife felt drawn to Chattanooga following trips to the Scenic City. Lemon had worked as an assistant vice president at the Better Business Bureau in Baton Rouge, but this is where he says he and his family were meant to be. “Sometimes, you have to take a risk. You have to take that first step outside of your comfort zone. And then, without hesitating, you have to take that second step,” he says.
Lemon demonstrated the same faith and courage when he became a Realtor. He’s taken many steps forward since then and overcome many challenges, and he has no plans on slowing down.
“It feels good to be where I’m supposed to be. And it feels good to be doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”