Patrick here. That's me --->
Quick bio: Aside from running around the region working with our fantastic clients, I am also a musician (piano) with many decades of experience of performing in many (many) styles of music and venues.
Previous to real estate, I spent the better part of 5 years working for a major cruise ship line as both a musician (piano) and Musical Director. Looking back on that time, I learned a lot about life, real friendship and what it is to grow up and take responsibility for our actions. The life of a crew member is difficult to translate for those who haven’t been there. Further from that, it’s near impossible to explain the life of a shipboard musician which is unlike 99% of the other jobs on ships. My work week was comprised of 14 to 16 gruelling hours (playing live shows) with the rest being filled in with what can only be described as extracurricular activities.
Once I became MD (as close as I’ll ever come to being a Doctor), my work week changed with more time devoted to people management, music rehearsing and in general, reducing the chances of something going wrong. Live shows are live shows. Screw ups are like a foot step in wet concrete. Not terribly easy to undo. So, the job of an MD on ships is to plan ahead before the curtains open and 1,000 people are staring at you with expectations of being entertained while they pretend the ship isn’t getting the crap kicked out of it in 25’ swells.
I would make sure charts are intact and accurate. Everyone is wearing some kind of matching outfit. My bandmates will tell you that I was annoyingly insistent on the coloured, collared shirt. Head over and chat with the entertainer and/or rehearse the show beforehand. Talk to the Cruise Director to confirm opening and closing. Maybe even buzz up to the sound tech to let them know that I cared. And sometimes, I even did (care). My 9 bandmates would show up, hopefully mostly sober and in time to tune and go over intros and outros. Confirm any change in order or song list. On and on we’d go until showtime. Rim shot. Drum roll. Ladies and gentlemen…. Curtain opens and off we go!
That moment when the curtains open and the lights hit the stage is the moment we work towards in life regardless of what we’re doing.
Think about raising a child. All of those talks, lessons learned, supportive moments, heartbreak and joy, success and failure. All of these go into the stew that ultimately produces the person that takes the stage as an adult and hopefully doesn’t proceed to become the first bank robber in your family tree.
Planning, preparing, asking the ‘what if’ questions, working, calling in favours and asking for professional help.
So, now we change lanes into the world of real estate.
The obvious and quick scenario is that the moment the curtains are drawn open and the spotlight hits your house is the day it arrives on market. We see houses all the time that have not been prepared and are clearly not ready for show time. In the end, the audience (the people with the $$ who want to buy what you’re selling!) is left disappointed. After they watch the band hack its way through The Chicken, they ultimately head out to the Promenade Deck to check out the Curveball Brothers in the mid-lounge. (I apologize for the inside references…hopefully you get the point). And if you know who the Curveballs are, consider yourself high-fived.
So, moral of the story is getting a house for sale is work. If you were to sell your car tomorrow, you would spend a few hours I’m sure getting it cleaned up and shiny. Now take that same approach to your home.
Have a cracked window? Leaky faucet? Railing falling off the wall? Dodgy posters in the garage? Broken screen on the patio screen door? Well, it’s time to clean, prepare, stage, decorate, paint, fix and rehearse. That way when the curtain opens, you are ready and the chance for a failed inspection or unimpressed buyer is greatly reduced.
And if you’re thinking of going on a cruise, don’t listen to all that media stuff. It’s safe, fun and genuine good times.
Thanks for visiting.
THEbTEAM