Kevin LaRue - Century 21 Realtor

Ever wonder how the sprawling suburbs of Northern Virginia came to be? Join us as a Realtor with over two decades under his belt recounts the transformation of this once-rural region into a real estate hotspot. Drenched in personal history, our guest outlines the bloom of areas like Loudoun County, sharing tales of the deep emotional currents running through the purchase and sale of homes. Marvel at the resilience of a market pulsating with low inventory and climbing interest rates, and get up close and personal with the challenges and triumphs of creating lifelong client relationships in this ever-changing landscape.

Our conversation dives into the life behind the sales. Here's a real estate maven who cut their teeth in the corporate world and evolved into a property management sage, holding the keys to 11 pieces of the American dream. Reflecting on two decades of experience, they bring us wisdom on long-term property ownership, underscoring the sweat equity and trust that cement client-agent ties. The narrative unfolds, revealing how professional dedication is interwoven with personal growth and the balancing act of family life, including the joys of parenting and stealing away to cherished leisure retreats.

As we pull back the curtain on the future of real estate, we're not merely talking open houses and closing deals. Our guest shares how social media and the approaching wave of artificial intelligence are reshaping the industry. Through tales of family life adjustments to embracing the unpredictable nature of the real estate world, this episode provides a wealth of insights for anyone curious about the heartbeat of this profession. So, plug in and prepare to get acquainted with the human side of houses and homes.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:30

Realtor going on 20 years full time in Northern Virginia, 50 years old. I moved down from Pennsylvania when I was a year old, so 49 years. I've seen loud and bare facts. Prince William County's change explode, I can tell you. On route seven and route 28 were one lanes each way. So I've seen this area definitely change and grow, I think for the better.

Speaker 2: 0:51

That's awesome. How did you get your foot into real estate? How did that come about?

Speaker 1: 0:56

My mom was in new home sale since I was 10 when she started. So I kind of grew up she would be in a sales model or even a sales trailer if the model wasn't ready. Went through college, graduated college and she was like all right, come work with me. And I said I love you, but no, I'm 23. I don't want to work weekends. I want to be able to go out of town, have fun with my friends, do whatever I want. And then about I think about seven, eight years later is when I got into real estate and here I am, working weekends, crazy hours, but I love it. I don't miss the corporate world at all. I think you really get out of real estate when you put into it. So if you work hard and you do well for your clients, it pays off very handily.

Speaker 2: 1:36

On that note of real estate agents working hard and helping their clients, what are some of the character traits or personalities that you think clients are looking for when they're trying to work with a real estate agent when finding or selling a home?

Speaker 1: 1:53

It can be interesting. You have to kind of read your clients within the first few minutes of walking them door. Are they type A? Are they more easygoing? Is this their first sale? Have they done this five, six, seven times? What do they look for? An agent? So when I meet them, I usually have a conversation prior, more so just to talk to them, get their wants and needs. As I was coming here, I have an appointment set up for maybe next week in Prince William County. I was talking to her. She's like I've been in my house for 23 years. I'm an original owner. So she's like I've got a lot of stuff. This is going to take me time to get the house on the market. So those are things that I know going in how to talk and deal with them, because she has a lot of motion tied up in that house.

Speaker 1: 2:29

That's what she brought her kids home from the hospital and so I've seen it, where people really mostly tied to the home and I've got other people that are like it's a business transaction. My goal is to get them the most amount of money, sure as timeframe possible, at least a lot of continuancies, and onto their next property.

Speaker 2: 2:46

Wow, it sounds like you got to know psychologically how to deal with people. That's amazing, it's interesting.

Speaker 1: 2:52

I mean they always say realtors hold many hats, they're your psychiatrist, they ask you for, hey, you've been here for so long, you have doctor recommendations. Do you know where? There's kids parks, Like what can we do? People that move into the area who don't know it, and then the ones that are moving out. They're moving out for a reason and in this current market we're not having a lot of houses on the market and usually it's a lot of relocation out of the area we are.

Speaker 1: 3:14

You know, Northern Virginia is a big area. It's government, government contracting, major corporations, unemployment, low-hearers, schools are great. So we usually have more people moving into the area and I think, especially with the rates being so low in 2021 and early 2022, is people that got that two and a half to 3% interest rate. It's hard for them to sell. A lot of my recent sales have either been retirees or relocation, because it's the reason that they're leaving. It's not like they're selling a home and staying here buying another one because the rates are a little bit higher. Now we're talking about mid-sixes versus two and a half to three. That's a big jump.

Speaker 2: 3:47

Sure is. What are some of the changes that you've seen here in Loudoun County like for better or for worse?

Speaker 1: 3:53

I mean everybody always talks about. I grew up in the area and I remember there were green bunker stickers on the back of cars that say don't Fairfax Loudoun, because they didn't want it overpop. You're talking like. I mean. I remember in this area there were so many farms in the area.

Speaker 1: 4:06

Those rural kind of my high school. I went to Broadbrook High School. It was called Cornfield High. After my first year they got rid of cornfields and put inside farms, the reason being new home construction. You can grow grass in five, six weeks, cut it, put it on the new homes, grow it again. That's what was happening. Cornfield High kind of disappeared not long after I was there.

Speaker 2: 4:29

Did that make you sad?

Speaker 1: 4:31

Yes and no. I mean you still love to see the farms and everybody's in a community and the next farmer sales, but at some point maybe that farmer's ready to retire and it's time for them to say, look, I've put in all this time, energy, hard work for years and years. This is my opportunity to kind of move on the next phase of my life. But it is nice. When you get into Western Loudoun, you're through the hills, you see some of the old farms and fresh air. It's fresh air and there's. Leesburg has changed dramatically. I mean downtown Leesburg has been revitalized the last eight to 10 years with the shopping and the restaurants and the breweries and things like that that pop up. So it's different. I grew up in Loudoun County. There's only four high schools in the county when I graduated from high school and now you're talking 18 to 19.

Speaker 2: 5:13

Wow, that's a big jump there.

Speaker 1: 5:15

You see it in the population, obviously, and I think growth is good Businesses. People thrive from growth, and I think that's why Leesburg is actually really doing well in other areas of the county as well.

Speaker 2: 5:27

Hey, that's awesome. Yeah, it's ever growing. Here in Northern Virginia I feel like people always want to come here. We're like running out of real estate for them to go.

Speaker 1: 5:33

We are running out of real estate. What's happening I mean was Ashburn. I lived in Sterling. Ashburn Village and Ashburn Farm were like cities that were dropped in the middle of woods. And then Ashburn's just growing, growing Braubens, Bramilton, moving out to Leesburg, Percival, Round Hill, and then now everything's even getting more out in those areas, but then it's moving to Prince William County as well. They have more land in Barnland too. So we're seeing, and now everybody's talking to data centers, right.

Speaker 2: 5:57

Yes, that's a big one. Yes.

Speaker 1: 5:59

You know they're not the prettiest. They do bring in tax revenue. But you know a lot of people say, well, what's going to happen when these things aren't needed in 15, 20 years? Because the technology is always changing. They could turn into apartments, they could turn into sports courts for kids. You can turn in everything, tear it down, rebuild that's right Directly. They're big shells. They're big and tall, but they're just basically shells and then you can keep what's there. Or if you have to tear it down and rebuild to whatever you want to do. You know I'm not a huge fan of it, but it does help the economy in the county, so we have to kind of deal with it. I think there's too many of them going on and they're more in pipeline that we don't even know about. We'll start seeing them hit.

Speaker 2: 6:40

Like what.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Well, I mean, everything takes like the bought land years ago, you know, has to go through the development stage and get through a different permitting process and then boom, next thing you know it's like I don't remember that.

Speaker 2: 6:50

Yeah, that's so good.

Speaker 1: 6:51

Because it's a shell really. I mean, once they get that shell up, then they get everything going in and power supply issues and they're talking about you know, we can't get enough electricity out. Oh man, there's always something. But again it's yeah, data centers don't really have a lot of employees, so they do in their building, but once they're set, it's not like like, for example, the old AOL building.

Speaker 2: 7:11

That's is in the mall. I used to work at AOL way back in the day, and so you've got mail that's being developed and knocking down a rebuilding.

Speaker 1: 7:18

So you know things change over time. I mean, not everything is always going to be around. That is true.

Speaker 2: 7:23

I guess I'm very nostalgic sometimes, like that's why I asked you like are you sad about that? Because in my head I'm like I would kind of be sad because my memories but you're, I like that, you are very much into like change and growth and like always looking at like the good side. Sometimes I can be like, but I miss those.

Speaker 1: 7:38

Yeah, but I remember when, or you say I remember when this area was that I mean I'll see old pictures every once in a while I was like man, I forgot about that. I mean there was never a traffic light or they never an overpass at seven and 28. And I can tell you that because I was in a car accident at seven.

Speaker 2: 7:52

Oh my goodness. Well, it wasn't my fault.

Speaker 1: 7:54

But that now it's like I drive past. I'm like I remember that every time I go through there, because when 28 comes in the seven, I was like that's where my accident was. But now overpasses everywhere. We're getting rid of travel lights to ease travel flow, but what's going to happen is you're going to catch up to some traffic lights sooner or later. But that's right. You know a lot of people stay in the Ashburn Lease River there if they're driving around, so it makes it a little bit easy to navigate. But let's be honest, traffic around here is always a nice.

Speaker 2: 8:16

Yes, and I feel like it's only going to get worse. I wonder if they're going to build more roads because we're having more people come in.

Speaker 1: 8:20

That would be great, because if not, building more like arteries away from like seven and 28 greenway, but it's to alleviate some of the traffic on those areas, so it'll spread it out a little bit. Let's be honest. Yes, you're right.

Speaker 2: 8:32

You're right, we're becoming the new LA with, like apparently they have really bad traffic too, so hope we're ready for that. But how are you keeping up with some of the trends as far as the real estate market goes, with developments and all of that?

Speaker 1: 8:44

So technology, you know I'm pretty fortunate. My company is always at the forefront of technology since we're 21 parent companies, largest real estate company in the world. So you know, coming with that my company, we get the brand and you know we get what technology is coming out. And sometimes the newest technology is not always the best. You know you have to see what works for you and you know there's always things like hey, okay, we've been doing this for three years, this is the newest thing out and more people are gravitating to it, but maybe that doesn't work. You get into it after a year or two and say you know, this doesn't work. This older product worked better. But it's how we connect and engage with our clients and how we grow our business.

Speaker 1: 9:18

Everybody's different. Like, my craziest year was 2016. I had 72 transactions and I'm an individual agent and I honestly was working 16, 18 hour days for the first eight, nine months. I don't remember Like and I told myself I don't want to be like that again. I narrowed myself in that point forward 35 to 50. That's where my company is 35 to 50 transactions, that's where I'm happiest. That still gives me time to enjoy my life, my kids going vacations and kind of just reenergize.

Speaker 2: 9:46

And for anybody right now who's going to going through that hustle right now, working those 16 to 18 hour days, what advice would you give them? And how did you get through that? How did you push? Because I know it takes a lot of hard work. Who does?

Speaker 1: 9:59

I was at a different stage in my life. At that point I was single, I wasn't married, I didn't have kids. I do know agents that are married, have kids and you know that's how we're wired. I mean, I grew up my parents were hard workers and they kind of distilled that on me and they say you put into it is what you're going to get out of it. If you work hard, you're going to do well, you're going to get rewards. And I'm not in it for the rewards. But everybody says, like you do so much, I'm like I just work and I feel like when I'm not working on board I'll drive my wife crazy. Now We've been married almost five years.

Speaker 1: 10:29

We have two little boys, but it's, I'm just driven and motivated. I like to work. It's weird because corporate world I was like five o'clock can we go, and now it's like I'll be in appointments and I'm like, oh, they didn't seem like it was three hours, so you're okay. After that I go to my next appointment and at some point I gotta get in front of the computer on my phone to catch up on all my past work. So you know, it's just a life change is when I was like getting to that phase I was like I kind of got burned out.

Speaker 1: 10:56

But I really love real estate and I tell people I don't just sell real estate, meaning I don't help people, just buy and sell real estate. I'm actually an investor in real estate and I own 11 properties. So it's something that I believe in and so you know I'm not going to do this forever. Like I said, I'm 50. My goal is maybe 10 to 15 more years at most, but I think 10. And by that point all my properties will be paid off, hopefully, and when I retire I can live off that rental income I need to. I can sell a property too. You know I invest my money as well. So I've got a good portfolio. But I don't just sell a real estate, I don't just work it, I believe in it, I'm the best in it, yeah, and you do it yourself.

Speaker 2: 11:34

You've got that experience so you can like talk behind what you're saying.

Speaker 1: 11:38

Exactly, and I meet clients and I'm, like you know, sometimes I lose business by saying why don't you hold on to this home when you buy your other house? And some people want to do it and they try it after you're too, like no bad experiences. You start, you know, hvac systems start going rude, water heaters they start seeing expensive or this comes to a point where, like, we just want to get the money out so it's not for everybody. I do my own property management versus hiring a property management company, because I've been here for so long that so many contacts, you know. I know owners of HVAC companies, plumbing companies, roofing companies. I've got connections so if anything ever goes wrong with my home, I need to call directly because I provided them business that they're going to say, okay, we're going to make sure we get out to you same day or the very next day and take care of it.

Speaker 1: 12:21

So I love real estate. I mean, I think it shows it's, it's a passion, right, and I never thought when I got into it I'd become an investor. But it became kind of addicting. I got the 10 homes. I was like, okay, I'm done. And then I had another one like a year and a half.

Speaker 2: 12:35

Okay, one more yeah.

Speaker 1: 12:37

I did. I had another one that fell just right into my lap. It was a good opportunity. It was a single dive with the sun. It's only two years old. I'm like, okay, two year old home, I'm not going to have those issues of an HVAC or water heater breaking in the next couple years because those are your big ticket items. So as an investor, you actually have to plan for these things to happen. You have to have the money that if it happens in one time, it's a good point. Six week period of time. I had two HVAC systems I had to replace so low, expensive. But there you go. It's something that you have to prepare for. But I will say you buy the house at this price point. You put somebody in who's renting your home, they're paying down your mortgage, property values are going up. How is that not a win-win?

Speaker 2: 13:17

No, that's a win-win. Right there I always say to.

Speaker 1: 13:19

I'll tell my clients, like, have you ever thought about keeping it? And they'll say, no, we want the money from one into the next. Or tell me more, and I am an investor, so I may lose two transactions, but I do gain the one. And then they believe in me, trust me, I'm not just pushing and selling. They'll say, like, it makes sense for you to keep it. Yeah, let's talk about it. Mm-hmm, that's my thing.

Speaker 2: 13:38

I love that you put that with your clients Not put that that's terribly worded. But I love that you tell your clients that and let them know, even if it means that you are going to lose that sale. Right, you know that means you want them to trust. How important is it for you to build and retain those relationships with your clients.

Speaker 1: 13:53

So being 20 years into this. This September will be 20 years and I Congratulations. I didn't know that because when I got into real estate and I took my license, I passed everything. I met with a broker at the company that I was previously with and the real estate meetings are always Tuesdays at, you know, 10 am. That's when the sales meetings work. Yeah, and I was meeting with him and I said ooh, and he said what's wrong? I said well, I'm a Redskins fan. I have Redskins Cowboys Monday night football tickets. He goes, I'll see you at two o'clock on Tuesday. I said, okay, I'm like working for you. He was a great and I did enjoy working on him. Unfortunately, he passed away.

Speaker 2: 14:29

I'm sorry about that.

Speaker 1: 14:30

But yeah, I just always remember it was September 27th, you know, two days before it was that football game. Yeah, the very next day is when I started my real estate career. Oh, my goodness, I'll never forget it. That's the day after my birthday, 20 years this year, so that's beautiful yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:44

So it's like building. You know, like I said, for 20 years most of my business and I will tell you, 93 to 95 percent of my business is repeat clients and referral. Those are your big pile. So I think when you take care of your clients and you do right by them, that they're going to trust you and they're going to refer you out. And you know that's great on me and it's great for my business but also for my family and it's just. It's that trust that we have.

Speaker 1: 15:06

And you know I still had, like two weeks ago I had a client. They referred me family members and friends that they always reached out to me hey, we need an electrician, or now we need a plumber, who do you recommend? So I don't want to just be like for buying and selling, I want to be their resource and even if it's people who move to the area, we don't know anything around here. It's just a little hub. Where do we go for, like, a nice dinner? Where do we go for? You know, we need a pediatrician, we need this, that like. Come to me, because I want to be your source, I want to be your connection for the area and for growing. You know what you're here for, but it's literally 92 to 95 percent is repeat referral and then the other five percent or so comes from my marketing advertising but also from my company.

Speaker 1: 15:45

I am reader certified, so relocation certified, been doing it for gosh 13, 14 years now, wow. So you know you have to have background checks. We have to have training three, four times a year. Wow. Sell certain homes. They don't want just anybody going to somebody's home. You're dealing with CFO CEOs, vps, hr presidents, things of that. Even your standard like I say standard. But even your managers, people that are moving, you're going into their home. They want to make sure that you are qualified. Yeah, it's not just a quote, unquote standard agent going. So we do have background checks and all that. And relocation is huge and the meeting that I talked to you about earlier, the lady that I'm meeting with.

Speaker 1: 16:25

Next week she's being relocated to North Carolina. So again, it's a. It's a big part of this area. People not just leaving, people are coming in as well and I think that's another avenue that I can help buyers and sellers work that if I'm too busy with my own business, I don't have to accept that relocation work. They say, look, my company's worried about this, like, if you're too busy, we rather provide it to another agent who may be able to take it on, versus you taking it and not putting your best foot forward, all the attention and energy that is needed to do that. So I like it and it helps my business grow because you know, the more for sale signs I put in the yard, it goes online. More people see my name, my information and that's how I do business. Yeah, it's an organic grow, but it's also hustle.

Speaker 2: 17:10

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:11

That's again.

Speaker 1: 17:12

My parents were entrepreneurs, they were hard workers and I saw that and I just think it rubbed off, I think it did too, and it's just how I go and they were like you get a credit card in college, like that's fine, when that bill comes in, you pay it off. If you can't afford to pay in cash, you know, put it on a credit card and that's. I've never had like a revolving credit card debt and I feel like that's huge because I know a lot of friends have gotten in debt, yeah, and again it just comes from my parents down and I love it.

Speaker 2: 17:40

That's so great.

Speaker 1: 17:41

It's good, and my two boys, two and a half and seven months, that hopefully you know I'm going to do that same thing for them. Yeah, Because I'm going to be good kids right, yeah, exactly yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:53

And kids are going to be good people, and that's what we're doing. We're trying to. The next, next generation, next people that are coming through, is that, hey, you're the next ones that are going to take our country to the next place. You know, bring them up right. You know, that's our, our talk is at our house, like, oh, he's good with himself.

Speaker 2: 18:07

I think that parents does yeah exactly.

Speaker 1: 18:09

No, you know it's. I started later in life, so you just want to help them too. You know Things a little bit differently than if I had kids at 25,. You know, I my first time 48 and 47 and my next one at 49. So it's, you know, you see things differently. Yeah, you're a little bit more mature, at least, hopefully, my wife, my wife, she'll be like hmm, yeah, she'll be like.

Speaker 2: 18:29

I should say sometimes.

Speaker 1: 18:31

But yeah, so you know, now my like, my wife and my boys are my big priority and I think work comes second, but I still like.

Speaker 2: 18:39

That's your passion, yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:40

In my life. She is a realtor as well, so she understands like, hey, you got to go work, I've got this and that's. I think that's it makes us work well together. A good team.

Speaker 2: 18:48

She stands the business yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:49

And sometimes if you don't, you know, in a relationship and somebody doesn't understand the business, it becomes difficult. Yeah, because it's a, I've had appointments at eight o'clock at night because they have children and they're like okay, I'm flexible, I can come in when they're down, or is it better to meet in the middle day when they're at school, or you can get a two hour break for lunch, whatever the case may be. So you got to be flexible in this business. Yeah, I got a good friend of mine that he does it part time and he's very successful and he's like look, I do it up until school's out. When school's out, that's my summer for the kids. We go away, we do everything over the summer. School starts back up. I'll kind of get back into it again, Of course.

Speaker 2: 19:22

Speaking of that, what do you guys like to do for fun, like your family, or you yourself for leisure?

Speaker 1: 19:27

We. What was it? Three years ago we bought a beach house up in Delaware.

Speaker 2: 19:31

So it's close to a three hour drive.

Speaker 1: 19:34

It's very easy to get to. I grew up going to the outer banks and I will say I still love the outer banks, but, man, is it hard to get to these days.

Speaker 2: 19:41

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:42

That five hour trip can turn into six and a half hours depending on when you leave traffic getting in and out. So we found, you know, delaware would be a great spot. It was a newer property. The people that owned it were second owners so they basically they were first owners but there was a second home for them and they went up there for vacations and they only sold it because they wanted to build a house. So we have a four level town home up in Delaware.

Speaker 1: 20:04

Easy drive. I always say the first hour is the beltway, the next hour group 50. And then the last hour is the back roads of Maryland and Delaware just to get to the property. So you know my wife can get away with kids and her sister and mom, you know if they want to take a break or you know we'll go up. We usually go up four solid times a year and then we go up maybe two, three days. How fun. Again, it's an easy drive. That if I have that home in North Carolina or further out, it just wouldn't be that way. So we always go up for her birthday in May, we go up for a week at friends in June and we do a couple of family trips in July and August, and then we might say, okay, if somebody's not renting it, because we'll leave it out there. If somebody wants to rent it, it's not taken and I have a couple days off. That's part yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:44

Because I can work remotely, unless I've got to show houses. So but yeah, we love to go to our beach house because it's you know, you got Ocean City, Maryland, you got Thanwick, do we Beth and you Rehoboth? Everything's within our house. It's 30 minutes to that's nice to Rehoboth, so it's an easy. And then where we are is fan week, so we get to the beach at fan week in 10, 12 minutes. Amazing, it's good to have. I love sporting events. You know we used to do concerts and we're trying to kind of get back into some concerts.

Speaker 1: 21:12

What concerts did you guys go to. We're big, you know we like country concerts.

Speaker 2: 21:15

Okay.

Speaker 1: 21:16

Jiffy Lube, and that's a good one. I've been to. Oh gosh, what is it? Wolf Trap.

Speaker 2: 21:21

Wolf Trap yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:21

You know we're. There's some bigger concerts coming up. There's a big concert at Ocean City, Maryland, at the end of September, which happens to be my birthday. Okay, yeah, my wife's like. You know, those are bands that you knew in like high school and college and I said, yeah, it's kind of you know, it's what I want to do and she's like I'm not so much into them. I said so. Guys weekend yeah, but she goes. I get a girls weekend at the beach show. I said fair.

Speaker 1: 21:46

Okay, so I'm looking in doing that too because I've got a lot of friends that are going to go. So there you go. We end up coming or we do a guys weekend or something. It's just going to be a fun weekend, end of September, so kind of like the end of the summer.

Speaker 2: 21:58

Yes, I love that for you guys.

Speaker 1: 21:59

But yeah, there's 40 events you know I say Redskins, now it's commanders, but the IRL.

Speaker 2: 22:05

Yeah, you know, it's like it's been three names.

Speaker 1: 22:07

In what three years? Yes, New ownership, so there's new hope. I guess we'll call it.

Speaker 2: 22:12

Washington Nationals.

Speaker 1: 22:13

I love the NASA like going to baseball games.

Speaker 2: 22:14

Yeah, we do.

Speaker 1: 22:15

Yeah, that's my thing, you know if I can get away. But now it's time for the boys. So, yeah, go walks, we go to playgrounds, things like that. They're younger, so we're going to watch them grow and we're going to do the things that they want to do.

Speaker 2: 22:24

Are there any sports in particular that you're like, yeah, I'm going to sign them up for this?

Speaker 1: 22:27

I grew up playing soccer and baseball.

Speaker 2: 22:29

Oh, do you like watching soccer?

Speaker 1: 22:30

I do. I like going to see soccer more so than watching. Okay, it's more of same with baseball Like. I watch baseball. It's a world series Like, but I love going to baseball games, it's the atmosphere.

Speaker 2: 22:42

Yes.

Speaker 1: 22:42

You're going to be here, get a hot dog. You know that I'm actually like very excited to take my son to the first baseball. How cute I think it may be this year you know it'll be three in September, but if not it's definitely to be next year I think it'll be something that he would enjoy. I don't think he'll be ready for a football game. No, probably until 10th or earliest, because football games let's be honest can get a little rough.

Speaker 2: 23:05

Yes, they can.

Speaker 1: 23:06

Crowds get a little bit different and there's certain teams that you don't take your kids to go see with you. You need a cowboy. That's just the rivalry, so you have to pick and choose. You know where you would take him, so that would be my thing, but I'm excited to take him to a baseball because he loves sports.

Speaker 2: 23:21

Oh good.

Speaker 1: 23:22

He was born. The first day I had him in my arm watching a Penn State football game. I was born.

Speaker 2: 23:27

You remember a lot of things with dates from games.

Speaker 1: 23:30

It was the thing he was born, and it was the first baby. He was born Friday, saturday, laying in my wife's bed because she had moved around. So I'm holding him and watching football game and he'll say football and he'll see it on TV and he'll even see a football helming football and then he's kicking a ball.

Speaker 2: 23:44

Okay, that's a sign.

Speaker 1: 23:46

He's hopefully business sports. I grew up playing sports. I think it works well. I think it instills discipline and gives him an activity to do other than just kind of sitting at home.

Speaker 2: 23:57

Yes, video games yes.

Speaker 1: 23:59

You're like get out, do some different stuff. I grew up different time. Your neighbor streetlight came on the front porch light. That's when you went home. Now it's different. A lot of kids are inside or the kids are going to be other kids playing video games or playing against each other from two different homes. Good for them. But I think you know, get out and have a little bit of fun, and we try to do that with our boys. Weather's nice, let's get outside, even if it's in the backyard or around, I agree.

Speaker 1: 24:20

There's a great playground in Leesburg. Now there's a great new playground, helen. But Helen Bernie Hansen in Ashburn that will take the boys to. So it's just fun to kind of get out and have some fun and just not be in the house.

Speaker 2: 24:32

Yeah, no, I agree with you completely. Yes, fresh air Very important and you really are a hub. You're like, oh, a new playground that they just built. Like you have your eye on everything. You're good.

Speaker 1: 24:41

We have friends that live in Leesburg and they kind of told us about it. My wife told about it but we had never been and we went last weekend with them because their son's too much younger than mine. So those, those are going to be like buddies growing up and all. They hang out, they have fun, so, if we can get together, and we went to brunch you know some dinner or some brunch and some food and we took them to the playground, let them run around, and then it was like, okay, nap time, perfect, and that was it. So, yeah, it's a. You know the boys are great, my wife's awesome and she, you know she shout out wife yeah, love that.

Speaker 2: 25:11

And she's also in the business, too, of real estate, so that's great.

Speaker 1: 25:14

She's taking a little time off right now to kind of raise the boys. Good for her. He misses it, but you know it's. She's like you know I'd rather raise the boys until we put them in school and then I'll get back into real estate. Yes, good plan, and I think that works well for us, you know. So different dynamic is something that I'm adjusting to, because she's not a real say, something she's just into, because she's on it and kind of she's with the kids more during the day. Yeah, but I do try to get home as much as possible and help out. I think that's my job, that's my role.

Speaker 2: 25:41

I love that. Do you have any like crazy stories of people requesting certain things for a home or anything haunted that you've ever experienced?

Speaker 1: 25:49

You do get that once a while Like what's the background on this? And it's like you know, I've heard this. I'm saying you know I can't really say is it haunted? You're sad about down to these work offices as well and the funny thing was when you walked in the front doors it was slanted and there were stories that there were ghosts and I actually this conversation came up I want to say it was December, january timeframe Somebody was a coworker of mine, was talking about a house that's haunted and I was like, come on, seriously, like if you Google the address there'll be some stories that are out there.

Speaker 1: 26:20

But I've had colleagues and coworkers tell me some crazy things that happened. I've got a colleague that I think she's going to come out with a book. I think she needs to. I always say how did these things always happen to you? And you're on a group text and it's just like, hey, you know, here's just what happened to me. This is more of a you story than me, but it did happen. But you know it's nothing too crazy. Crazy that jumps out. I have had a coworker that he went to show a property and he opened a door to be with his clients and he heard somebody crying for help and a woman had fallen in the shower, ended up breaking her hip, couldn't get out. So thankfully, yes, you know he was there and I don't you know. I don't know how long she was there for, but I mean, you know, if you didn't show the house, I mean, how long would she have been there before help would?

Speaker 2: 27:03

have arrived, so it's weird.

Speaker 1: 27:04

you know, you hear those stories but nothing off the wall in like 20 years, like I say hey, you know there's been this situation Because people ask me like I had to ask Well, it does come out like what's your craziest story. I'm like, I'm kind of boring. I haven't had that like aha moment of you know this home, this happened here, or you know, there's a ghost it's cursed.

Speaker 1: 27:27

To me. No, I'm waiting for it to happen, because I think it will at some point, but it hasn't yet, so nothing too. I'm sorry to disappoint.

Speaker 2: 27:34

No, it's okay, I had to ask, but there are.

Speaker 1: 27:37

you know. I do know stories from other agents that have happened, so my time will come soon, your time will come, yeah, hopefully nothing major.

Speaker 2: 27:44

Nothing major, not on what exactly? Something cute and not scary. Yeah, and for anybody who's listening, what advice would you give them if they want to get their foot in the door to be a real estate agent? Like, give them some what not to do and some good tips.

Speaker 1: 28:00

So I'll say, when I started out I was in the corporate world and I was just tired and bored of it. I was in a cubicle Doing a self spreadsheet the same sheet seven, ten, fifteen times. I'm like this is beginning the same thing over and over. Real estate is not like that. Every day is different. Yeah, you may be showing houses, but it's a different home. You meet different people and I got it. You know, I'm a people person like that. I like to talk and have fun and I think you know what worked for me is I Grew up in this area, right.

Speaker 1: 28:26

So when I was in the corporate world I was took my real estate classes at night, did all my hours, passed all my tests, I kept saving money and then I saved up, saved up for five months and I was like, boom, here we go, I'm in real estate and it took me four months to get my first closed deal. So thankfully, you know, I saved up that money, that a cushion got into it. But it just took off and you know, when you're into this it's not kind of like what you know, it's who you know. So you know I relied on my high school friends, my college friends in the area and I networked and and it's growing that business that way and it's that repeat and referral business that just grows and grows, grows. The longer that you run the business, the bigger your business should grow, because you're getting those Repeat clients, the ones that bought the townhome and then they have two kids and like we're too big now for the house, we need a single family. So let's sell it or keep it, depending on what they want to do. If you can keep it, I always say if you can keep it and it makes sense, keep it. If not, sell it, take the money, put it down to next one. But if you're gonna get into it, you got to get into it for the, I think, the right reasons.

Speaker 1: 29:27

You are in a servicing business. You know you are Technically at your clients back in call per se. Like obviously I know agents to say I work from nine to seven. After seven I don't answer my phone call. I work a little bit differently. If it's an important phone call, I'm gonna return that message. I've sent out emails at 12, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock in the morning. I've been up all nighters because I may have three, four listings coming on the market the same week, so it's gonna take more time out of me and you know if I can spend some time with my wife and kids during the day to know that I got to kind of sacrifice at a night. But you may be a single person, you may be married with no kids, you may just have a different dynamic and you just got to be prepared. You get out of it what you put into it.

Speaker 1: 30:09

And that's kind of like I'll say is If you're ready for it, it can be a great and fun business. If you're not, it can be a very expensive business that doesn't reward you. So we see agents and again 20 years I've seen agents come in, get out when the market gets really tough, like it is now.

Speaker 1: 30:25

We've been mass exodus agents, not just locally but, you know, nationally as well. But I think if somebody has a liking and passion for houses, it can be a good business. And sometimes you start off. Maybe it's part-time, maybe you keep your your full-time job because you got great benefits, you make good money, but you do it as part-time. But part-time can be hard because you have those clients that needs you during the day. Yeah, you're working. So I always say 20 years full-time. That's my thing is. And I'm available when I travel. My phone, my laptop, my tablet come with me. If I'm out of town, I tell my clients here's when I'm gonna be gone. Here's my coverage, here's covering me why I'm gone. Anything when I do travel, I am still available. So I will respond. I check email in the morning. I may see in the afternoon, but I definitely get it again at night. So I always stay in touch with my clients. I'm always you're gonna get response me 24 hours or less.

Speaker 2: 31:11

Wow, and I know you said like you used to take like 76 like 72 turns acts 72 turn.

Speaker 1: 31:18

Yeah, that was the most I ever had. That closed, I like yes, buyers sellers and in rentals.

Speaker 1: 31:22

So I also do rental property. So you're applying to mine and you have that property that you want to keep as investment. I will put that on the market for you for rent. So I had 72 turns actions one year and I will honestly say I don't want to get like that again. Yes, an individual agent. Now if I was to create a team, that might be a different story. It's nice and you've got some support, yeah, but it was just a chaotic year. How?

Speaker 2: 31:42

do you? How did you have boundaries later on? Like I know you said, sometimes you'll hang out with your family, but if that means later on you got to take a call, you take that call. How do you balance those boundaries for yourself?

Speaker 1: 31:54

It is. It's a balancing act. It's like there's times where you can't take a call because you may be doing something with your family or your son or something. That's going on like that. Or it's like I really I take this, I take the baby. Yeah, I'm gonna run up to the office and take that phone call. You are in a servicing business and it will get at you, it will encompass you sometimes, but if you don't set certain boundaries you're gonna fail. And again, you know 20 years when you grow into it, the highs and lows.

Speaker 1: 32:24

I think I'm in a great place right now. I've got my business, that it builds on itself, but I really take right care of my clients. I've got a later today. I've got a walk through with first-time homebuyers and it was a great referral. They're both teachers in the county, they both coach sports in the county. Okay, and when I, for the very first time, I met them, they just had a sick, your gold daughter. She grew up in the county, he's from out of the area, but she's like I want to live here, I want to grow my family here, and so we're closing on Thursday, hey, yeah. So tomorrow actually, yeah. So I'm gonna set a client set five kids total that are all grown up and out and now they're moving out of the area and the family that actually got the contract on the home they're getting married in June. They want to start a family and in this community where they're moving, it's kids central Like.

Speaker 1: 33:14

I actually pulled up to the house to drop off my brochures and my remove shoe sign and everything and I hid it at the. I say the perfect time, which could be the wrong time is when that school bus got home and I just saw a kid after kid and I'm starting to count. There was like 43 children. You dropped it. I did because I'm like where are they all coming from? I didn't participate. This many kids. So for them coming in that community and they want to start a family, there's so many kids growing up. So I think that's a perfect house for these people to purchase. So my sellers got a wonderful offer and I really think the buyers did too. They're gonna have a good community, good house to build their family, perfect.

Speaker 2: 33:47

Yeah, and then just to wrap things up here, if you could leave one message for our listeners, what would that be? It can be in regards to anything the world, real estate, life, family.

Speaker 1: 33:57

You know, whatever you do, whether it's work and life, just make sure that you're doing what's best for you and your family. Don't let the business, don't let something take you out of what your comfort level is. Know what your role is in life and what your role is in your job and I think that way it'll balance you to work-life, family balance. And I think that's what I have to kind of learn Because, again, you know, I was never married up until 45, 46 years old. So come up with my five-year anniversary and it was a curve and I was, like I'm so used to doing what I needed to do when I needed to do it for my clients, like I just went out the door, hey you want to see a house, then I'm the dog, right?

Speaker 1: 34:37

So now I'm like hey, do you have anything planned? Do you have an doctor's appointment? Do the kids have any appointments? Like, do I need to? Like, hey, I can't go this time. Here's the hours I can go. So, whatever business you're in, whatever your life situation is, do what's best for you and your family, and everything else will work around it. There's always going to be a job. There's always going to be that other thing that you can do another day or time, but I think it's you know, take care of you, your family, your kids, and then work will always be there. I just that's how. I've been again corporate world for seven, eight years before I got into real estate. It was great for me because it was a learning curve. It's not when I graduated college, it's not what my degree was in. None of my jobs have been in what my degree was in.

Speaker 2: 35:19

It's funny, how that works.

Speaker 1: 35:21

It was who I knew. It was the first job I was in. I knew somebody. They got me in the door, got the job. The next one, it was three guys from the gym that I was working out like we're hiring, okay, went there after that. It was a buddy of mine at AOL, wow, and he brought me in and then I was like, okay, cube of Gold wasn't my thing, spreadsheets weren't my thing. I am a people person. I like to get out and have fun and talk and I think real estate is the perfect place.

Speaker 2: 35:42

I have to agree with that. Just by knowing you Like you're a people person. It is.

Speaker 1: 35:45

It's just, I like talking and having fun and laughing and you know, I think it's the interaction because you meet so many different people from so many different places. Yes, and it's a great learning experience too.

Speaker 2: 35:56

And where can people find you? What's your website or Instagram?

Speaker 1: 35:59

It's easy kevelarucom, you can Google me. I'll pop up all over Google for either Instagram, facebook. You know it's an easy to get a hold of me you just type in kevelarucom or kevelarugoogle and you'll find me. You'll access me. I'm a social media guy. I'm trying, you know, at least Facebook and then Instagram's taking off right now. I'm trying to like how do you do reels and how do you do that? Yeah, sometimes I hand my wife the phone because she knows more about it than I do, but it's just another avenue.

Speaker 1: 36:27

What's coming next? Ai, that's right. So that's the next big thing that's taking you over, not just real estate overall, but it is becoming a big avenue in real estate. So we're learning about AI. I've had some AI classes and I'm excited to see what it brings Hope.

Speaker 2: 36:42

They offer that at school. But thank you so much for your time and your knowledge. We really appreciate that. It's a great time, thank you.

Speaker 1: 36:50

Thank you, yeah.