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Rainmaker
3,988,007
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

No I was new to the area and didn't know many people yet and had no relatives here. I worked with people I didn't know and that is how I built my business.

Feb 14, 2016 05:35 AM
Rainmaker
1,771,867
Noah Seidenberg
Coldwell Banker - Evanston, IL
Chicagoland and Suburbs (800) 858-7917

My first two sales were friends who know I was a total rookie. I had been a part owner of a successful company where I was the head of sales and they knew this.

Feb 14, 2016 05:29 AM
Rainmaker
1,622,432
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

No, i did not have any family or close friends since I was new in the town and even in the country. 

Feb 14, 2016 03:55 PM
Rainmaker
3,986,258
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

No, it was 2 years before anyone like that was in my picture

Feb 14, 2016 06:25 AM
Ambassador
6,392,929
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Most of our early clients were not related, my relatives were a much tougher sell, they wanted to see a winning track record before signing up

Feb 14, 2016 05:51 AM
Rainmaker
400,356
Jill Murty, Realtor - Orange County, CA
Movoto - Laguna Niguel, CA

No, not at all.  I proved myself with strangers first and I think that's a good thing. 

Feb 14, 2016 05:44 AM
Ambassador
2,178,533
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

I started part-time and a women who worked in my office was my first client.  

Feb 14, 2016 05:34 AM
Ambassador
3,344,906
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

No.  My first client was a buyer referred to me by a friend.

Feb 14, 2016 05:33 AM
Rainmaker
634,482
Kathleen Luiten
Resort and Second-Home Specialist - Princeville, HI
Kauai Luxury Ocean Home Sales

Two of my first three transactions were sphere-of-influence, not close friends but acquaintances.

Feb 14, 2016 05:27 AM
Rainmaker
5,583,278
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

no, all of my intial business came from my "bird dogs" who were taking very good care of keeping my plate full....I knew after working a few buyers that I was going to focus only on listings....and they continued to feed me.... 

Feb 14, 2016 05:23 AM
Rainmaker
4,434,127
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

no

Feb 14, 2016 08:42 PM
Rainmaker
4,882,355
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

A very good friend gave me my first listing.  She had a brother and sister in law in the business; however she wanted to help me out.

Feb 14, 2016 08:35 PM
Ambassador
2,436,099
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

My first buyer client was my stepson. My first listing was my own place. 

Feb 14, 2016 08:05 PM
Rainmaker
5,216,353
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

No I did not! Just went for it!

Feb 14, 2016 07:51 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington my gut feeling is - like me - most of us started with a friend as a buyer. (I know a few who had a first listing - I was not so lucky, though...)

Feb 14, 2016 03:18 PM
Ambassador
3,727,873
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

My first listing was a close friend.  My first buyer was a floor call.

Feb 14, 2016 02:16 PM
Rainmaker
4,935,567
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

not sure that is the way to go

Feb 14, 2016 12:41 PM
Ambassador
3,164,119
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

random stranger was my first client.  Must have been an okay experience, I sold that house for him when he moved out of state a few years later.

Feb 14, 2016 11:54 AM
Rainmaker
1,712,676
Joe Pryor
The Virtual Real Estate Team - Oklahoma City, OK
REALTOR® - Oklahoma Investment Properties

My first client was one a freind recommended to me. he was a lawyer and got a personal injury award for her and made her promise to pay cash for a home.

Feb 14, 2016 11:54 AM
Rainmaker
1,502,898
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

The mother of a girl I had gone to high school with.

Feb 14, 2016 11:32 AM
Rainer
321,564
Melissa Jackson REALTOR
Trinity Premier Properties - Azle, TX
Helping You Make The Right Move

I didn't. At least 3 in our office have started with family members properties. 

Feb 14, 2016 11:08 AM
Rainmaker
3,626,530
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

No sir, started cold turkey, no sphere of influence nada....

Feb 14, 2016 10:37 AM
Rainmaker
2,224,473
Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

That didn't happen to me. I was actually in the business for about two years, before I worked with my first friend that wanted to buy a house. 

Feb 14, 2016 10:34 AM
Rainmaker
1,525,616
Sybil Campbell
Fernandina Beach, FL
Referral Agent Amelia Island Florida

No, I did have some friends as clients the first year though.

Feb 14, 2016 08:59 AM
Rainer
80,653
Linda Guess
Keller Williams Tri-Lakes Branson, MO - Branson, MO
Branson area real estate sales.

No.  I haven't ever represented a relative or a really close friend.

Feb 14, 2016 08:32 AM
Rainmaker
1,052,176
Candice A. Donofrio
Next Wave RE Investments LLC Bullhead City AZ Commercial RE Broker - Fort Mohave, AZ
928-201-4BHC (4242) call/text

No. I have had friends/family as clients, though. I rarely prefer it.

Feb 14, 2016 08:04 AM
Rainmaker
140,768
Joan Dickie
Keller Williams Premier Realty - La Crosse, WI
Keller Williams Premier Realty

Brother in law was 3rd or 4th I think.

Feb 14, 2016 07:14 AM
Rainmaker
1,231,853
Mary Yonkers
Alan Kells School of Real Estate/Howard Hanna Real Estate - Erie, PA
Erie/PA Real Estate Instructor

No, my first clients were parents of a former student.  I had been teacher before real estate.

Feb 14, 2016 06:15 AM
Ambassador
5,048,748
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

No, a complete stranger who came in on floor time wanting to list his 2-family home. I don't think I had any friends or relatives for buyers for years!

Feb 14, 2016 05:51 AM
Rainmaker
1,280,748
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

No my first client was a co-worker from my previous job.

Sep 19, 2016 12:42 AM
Rainmaker
979,496
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Paul - Nope, my relatives and close friends had nothing to do with my start.

Feb 16, 2016 11:57 AM
Rainmaker
617,935
David Gibson CNE, 719-304-4684 ~ Colorado Springs Relocation
Colorado Real Estate Advisers LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Relocation, Luxury & Lifestyle residential

Paul,
I was a mortgage lender at the time so my first customers were mortgage clients whose agents had given up on them.

Feb 16, 2016 11:21 AM
Rainmaker
5,868,472
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

No, and still have not done a transaction with a relative.   My first was an emaployee where I previously worked.

Feb 16, 2016 09:10 AM
Rainer
223,831
LUXURYSOCALREALTY COMPASS La Jolla
Compass - La Jolla, CA
San Diego Partner - The Private Client Network

I moved to a new area and knew no one, so no friends or family deals

Feb 15, 2016 04:58 AM
Rainmaker
1,725,996
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Sure didn't!

Feb 15, 2016 01:20 AM
Rainmaker
1,466,207
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington No, my first real estate transaction was a listing. I worked for a broker who promoted, "If you list you last".

Feb 14, 2016 10:41 PM
Rainmaker
3,071,489
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

No - a referral from a vendor in a different industry

Feb 14, 2016 09:58 PM
Rainmaker
5,104,931
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

In New York City, my first buyer was the daughter of very close friends, who had grown up with our girls. In Charlotte, my first buyer was a referral from a former business colleague and my second was an internet lead who found me on realtor.com back in 1999.

Feb 14, 2016 09:31 PM
Rainmaker
2,759,812
TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

 Good morning Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington . Once I get my license, I'm not sure where I will start.

Feb 14, 2016 05:20 PM
Rainmaker
2,538,633
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Good morning Paul. I started the real estate business, because I was constantly taking land in trade for cattle.

Feb 14, 2016 04:42 PM