The year 2020 proved to be unique in so many ways. It started with very little excitement, just doing our normal planning for ways to provide better customer service, making sure we schedule our client events for the year and taking time to enjoy our families and each other.
Well, weren’t we in for a surprise of a lifetime and not the kind that’s wrapped in a bow. Covid-19 was a huge smack in the face and led to a much different type of planning and even some un-planning. It created uncertainty, insecurity and fear for so many. In the professional world, there were bigger concerns than when we could see our clients at our next Team event. One of the biggest concerns that our Team shared with others in our client community was will we be able to work at all?
We continually discussed as a Team about how we would be affected, how I would personally fight to keep everyone employed and how we would manage the craziness of it all, together. After much discussion, we were fully ready to take a break, focus on organization when we got “slow” and do our best to maximize on the potential outcome of having lots of time on our hands.
Boy were we wrong…. 2020 became one of the hottest and highest priced selling Real Estate markets in the Shenandoah Valley and all around. The biggest obstacle was low listing inventory, which led to competing offers from Buyers. Throughout the year Sellers made more and Buyers found less!
The KK Homes Team experienced many changes, but not one was negative outside of the existence of Covid-19 and all that came with that. Sometimes life changes like this actually create an opening to see with clarity some things that you may have been allowing yourself to be somewhat blinded to. It was definitely a huge reminder to make adjustments, yet moving forward with building a team of people from the community, who are positive and caring and are for the good of the community. People who could have an opportunity that they may not have had otherwise, because they have big hearts, great ethics and good values.
This Team is different, I know that because it was built from me. This Team and business was built from a woman who knows what it’s like to struggle, from a woman who has a heart for humanity, someone who gives of herself but making sure there is enough left to pull it back together and move forward to the next… I did not grow this business on the coat tails of a hot market, or people handing me things. I grew this business on pure grit, sleepless nights and caring about the greater good of the people who trusted me with one of the most precious parts of their lives.
There have been so many days of long hours devoted to this business and community, multiple different and unique experiences like a “recession” and obstacles from a loan falling apart, to a house flooding after it was under contract and so on. Each of these have grown us to a powerhouse of a Team, who can face and conquer challenges, who navigate them calmly and successfully, who do not give up, but persevere time and time again. These are just a few ways why I can confidently say, that our Team is the best! And it’s not just those ways or because we have the highest numbers. It’s also because we know and embrace that Real Estate is not just about the number of houses we sell. Real Estate is about the number of hearts we touch, the number of kids who smile when they see us, the number of people who excitedly share our names with their friends and families, about the families who see us as their ally, their friend, their extended family. We put our heart and soul in to everything we do, personally and professionally. Our passion led to 295 more homes closed and an ever growing KK Homes Team Client Family and for that we are grateful and fulfilled. Looking forward to all of the people we get to see in 2021.
Kathleen Kellett-Ward