The 2015 EXIT Realty Corp. International Convention gets underway this week in Nashville, Tennessee. In this commentary, Convention Connector, Amie Larsen, Associate Broker with EXIT Realty Legacy in Salt Lake City, Utah, reminisces about the first life-changing Convention she attended.
My first Convention was in Nashville in 2004. I won a ticket from a contest that our franchisee provided. I had only had my license for about six months and I sold only one house; mine. We had no money, one car and my daughters were one and three years old. My husband, Bryan, worked a full-time job in customer service making less money in a year than I made last month.
I won that ticket by sponsoring three agents to the region, selling one deal and having one listing. Bryan didn’t really even want me to get it because I was a stay-at-home mom. I didn’t have a dress for the gala so I didn’t go to the ball, and I wore jeans to the cocktail party. I had to take my Aunt so that we could use her buddy passes for plane tickets and she shared a room with me at the Holiday Inn where my Dad had points (because we had NO money). My Aunt helped me with the cost of the rental car so that we could travel to the Convention Center at the Gaylord. Luckily most of the food was <included with the Convention registration>.
It was at that first Convention that I heard <EXIT Realty Founder and Chairman> Steve Morris speak. Tears were running down my face and I made the decision that real estate was going to be my career and I was going to make this work.
I came home from that Convention to a very angry and hostile husband (after a week with the kids and working) who told me, “It’s real estate or me!” That was like a punch in the face, but when you come back from something so uplifting to something so negative my answer was, “I choose real estate!” After all, I had made the decision that I was going to make it work and be successful.
Luckily Bryan chose me! And now, eleven years later, we work together as a very successful husband and wife team! We have already sold over 50 homes this year and have achieved practically every goal we have ever set!
Thank you, Steve Morris, and everyone who takes the time to make Convention an awesome life-changing experience! I can’t wait to see you all there!
I should also mention that it was because of Residual income from one of those first 3 sponsors that made it so I could pay my annual Board Dues when I got back from that first convention so that I could move forward and start closing 2 deals per month that convinced my husband to quit his job and come and work with me. Without Residual Income, I would’ve had to quit real estate and go to work at a “real job” and never would’ve had the opportunities that we have today!