Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 24, 2010
Newcomer getting her feet wet, learning the ropes
David Laprad
Realtor Jill Riley received her real estate license in July and is working at Crye-Leike in Hixson, Tenn. A self-described “real estate geek,” she says this is the perfect time for her to enter the market and make a name for herself.
- David Laprad
Jill Riley is so new at real estate, she’s still green. Actually, her shirt is green, but the smile on her face is all hers as she takes a seat at a conference table at Crye-Leike in Hixson, Tenn. While she comes across as naturally cheerful, something else has her grinning from ear to ear: even though she’s only been an associate broker for two months, she already has two contracts pending.
“I did not expect to be this busy this soon. Last week, I showed houses on five different days, which was great. After school one day, I called my babysitter, who watched my kids while I showed houses, then on another day, I showed a house while my kids were in school, and then I showed another house on Saturday, which my husband had off. Real estate is the ideal job for when you have kids,” she says.
It’s also a good line of work for people who are outgoing and easy to talk with, both of which Riley proves herself to be with just a few minutes of conversation. However, to succeed, a Realtor needs to be more than likeable; he or she must also be a good listener, and underneath the optimism, there needs to be a solid foundation of knowledge.
Check and check, says Riley.
“I’ve already learned to listen to my clients. Every buyer is looking for something different in a home and has price range in mind, so I try to pay attention to what they say they want and only show them properties I believe will interest them,” she says.
When it came to her real estate training, Riley says she was impressed with the TREES online program. She says the course was long, and covered more material than she thought she’d ever need, but that she came out of it feeling like she knows her job and can do it well.
Although Riley hasn’t
earned any additional designa-
tions, she says she’s in real estate
for the long haul and plans to go through more training in the near future.
“If you’re not a go-getter in this field, you’re going to be left behind. You have to absorb all the knowledge you can,” she says.
Given her last statement, it should come as no surprise that while growing up, Riley wanted to become a teacher. Instead of pursuing that path, she went to work for a well-known grocery chain, starting out as a cashier at 16 and worked her way up to a regional training position.
“I trained staff and worked with customers on a daily basis, so I’m comfortable with people. I also helped to roll out a lot of computer systems, so I’m at ease with technology. My experience in the grocery industry is helping me with my real estate career. You have to know how to talk with people, and you need to know how to work on the MLS,” she says.
Riley was working in South Carolina when she became pregnant. Since the training position involved a lot of traveling, she decided to take time off to be a stay at home mom. Two years ago, the chain transferred her husband, who also worked for the company, to Chattanooga. So far, everyone in the family, which now includes three daughters, ages eight, five and three, loves their new home.
“We love the mountains. We love the different seasons. We live here in Hixson, which is beautiful. We feel like we’re living in a small town, and yet we’re close to everything that’s going on. We like going to the Chattanooga Market and hanging out downtown with our kids,” she says.
Riley says she was always going to return to the work force, it was just a question of when. As that day approached, she realized she wanted to become a Realtor.
“I’d always been a real estate geek. I’d get a paper and look at what was on the market. It just interested me. I had a friend who was an agent, and I’d constantly ask her questions. So when it was time to go back to work, real estate was an easy choice,” she says.
Riley does admit to having had concerns about the down market, but says she realized the people who need to make a paycheck were leaving the industry, making then a good time for her to come in and learn the ropes.
“People are leaving the industry because it’s challenging. But we’re able to survive on my husband’s paycheck, so I have time to make a name for myself,” she says.
With two contracts pending and plenty of appointments to show houses, Riley is making quick work of getting her name out there. While she hasn’t set any sales goals, she does say she wants to be successful. She’d also like her husband to join her when he retires from the grocery chain, but with both of them in their mid-’30s, that won’t happen for a while.
“My husband likes to tease me and say he’ll be my assistant if I do well at this,” Riley says, her smile expanding across her face again. She might be green, but she knows a good deal when she hears one.
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