Monday, 2 January 2023
Cheers to 2023! Hello 2023!
I feel like every January we say ‘wow, what a year’...especially the last three years. But ya, 2022 was another one for the books. We began in real estate with still being in a hot seller’s market and wondering when the heck this was going to end. Then we started seeing the window shut around March and April, which resulted in riding the wave of continued inflation and rising interest rates...again wondering when that was going to end. We’ve survived to tell the tale of the wild market that finally settled. For those who don’t realize this, real estate is an ever changing and evolving profession. The market dictates to us what is currently happening and what’s likely to come. We look at historic numbers and statistics to make predictions. This is the first time in history that we really can’t rely on the normal cyclical nature of real estate.
So, what’s going to happen then? Real estate industry leaders and top economists are predicting that home values have pretty much settled from the ridiculous inflated values of even this past Spring. 2023 is being described as a sort of year of recovery, with home values having an average of about 1-2% increase and that as far as interest rates go, we may see them start to come down very slightly towards the end of the year. Let’s hope they’re right. I think so. My best advice I’m giving my clients right now, buy now and refinance later.
I’m very optimistic for 2023. I can’t help it, it’s in my nature. If the pandemic taught us anything real estate wise, it’s that people still need to move. In 2023 we won’t be seeing as many people moving-one reason being higher interest rates (for those who locked in before the increases) so we will have a continued lack of inventory, but there will be inventory and there will be buyers.
I’m not sad to see 2022 go, but I had a good time. I met lots of new people both virtually and thankfully back in person. I served my second year on our Niagara Association of REALTORS®️ Board of Directors, this time as President-Elect and was sworn in as NAR’s 2023 President just a couple of weeks ago. I volunteered on my local real estate board to learn more about my profession to be a better REALTOR®️ and learn from other board leaders. 2022 afforded me the opportunity to meet many of these other board leaders mainly from across Ontario and some from across Canada. To be in such company is a blessing. Man, I love learning from other people. Sometimes you learn what not to do as well. ;)
In August of 2022 I also celebrated my first year in my new home as my husband and I moved out of our first time buyer home in Niagara Falls after 20 years and ventured across town to a neighbourhood we never thought we’d ever get to enjoy. I’m very grateful for my clients and husband for supporting me in my business and for my own tenacity that kept me going through all the hard and challenging times. Hard work pays off folks.
Also in August, we had to say goodbye to our little silky terrier, Vivian. Many of you got to know Vivian through my real estate marketing over the last few years. I couldn’t help myself there either...she was adorable! She was a big part of my life and I miss her deeply. I’m thankful I walked into Lincoln County Humane Society that day in 2014 and adopted the six year dog no one else wanted. She showed us from that day forward how grateful she was too. We unintentionally had a little shih tzu come into our lives about three weeks later. That was way too soon for me, but my brother in law convinced me I would grow to love him. This little seven month puppy needed a new home because his mama was an older lady who ended up having serious health problems and couldn’t care for him anymore. I reluctantly said ok, bring him over. By the time I arrived home, my husband and his brother were in the backyard, playing with this little black and white fuzz ball. It took me a few days, but I did grow to love him and accept him as not a replacement, but as new member of our family. We named him Gordie after my father.
In October, I was thrilled to be with fellow NAR board members and our Executive Officer in Ottawa to lobby to our local Niagara MP’s about housing affordability for all Canadians. Seriously, I highly recommend volunteering in whatever you’re passionate about. You never know where it will lead you. Our EO and I actually lobbied to an MP in the lobby room! The MP we spoke to said this is now where leaders ‘hang out’ and talk to each other and get ready to go in to session, but way back in the day, this was where people from the public would come to lobby to MP’s...that’s why they call it the Lobby Room. We thought that was just the coolest thing!
In November, two awesome things happened:
- I did something I’d be procrastinating about for a while: I hired an assistant. As luck would have it she is someone I already knew previously. When I heard she was looking for work, I reached out to her, set up a lunch interview and offered her the job a few days later. So, now I have an employee-again not something thought would ever happen. I have to acknowledge how wonderful she is, and how wrong I was to wait so long to hire someone to help me. I put my heart and soul into my real estate business and finally realized that in order to grow, I needed help. Thanks for taking the job! ;)
- I hosted my 7th Annual Lip Sync Battle Fundraiser and raised $11, 878 for Women’s Place of South Niagara. This makes a grand total since inception of about $50,000 that we’ve raised for them through this event. I can’t thank enough those who volunteered to help, our sponsors and contestants. We had about 150 in attendance making this the most money raised per person in the event’s history. Check us out on Facebook and Instagram for info on the 2023 event
I’m grateful that this December, I was able to have a Client Christmas Appreciation Party for the first time since 2019. It was just a simple get together but we had good food, good friends, good conversation and Santa!! It was so great seeing everyone in person again. We had such a good time and a great turnout, we had to get more chairs!
The day before the Christmas party, I was sworn in as the President of the Niagara Association of REALTORS®️ for 2023. This may professionally be the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. The preparation for this role during the entirety of 2022 has been quite the education, but that’s why I decided to step into the role. We learn nothing by being stagnant and still. We have to keep moving to grow.
I’ll end this year in review with this: may you also reflect on your past year. May you realize the blessings and opportunities around you. May you know that you’re not expected to do anything alone. 2022 taught us a lot of lessons and now it’s time to prepare for what 2023 has in store.
