We took forever to settle on a house, and our very patient agent became a friend over that time. She traveled to our wedding in a different city, and she and my wife remain Facebook friends to this day.
I’m curious why this thread is focusing on (as the title says) “people in real estate”. Wouldn’t all the above posts also apply to other salespeople?
Do car salesmen ever become actual friends? Do bankers ever become actual friends? Do headhunters at an employment agency ever become actual friends? In all of these professions (and many more) one needs a level of friendliness far above that of a supermarket cashier or a car mechanic. But never confuse being friendly with being a friend.
You can end up spending a lot of time with Real Estate Agents. Generally you don’t with most salespeople.
A barber/hairdresser would be a closer match for time spent with them.
There’s a level of intimacy with real estate agents that doesn’t arise in other contexts. Your home purchase touches upon your work goals, your expected family size, your children’s school needs, etc.
That’s very true. It reminds me of what an old friend used to say - her dream job was being a residential real estate agent because it would be so much fun to share in how people imagined their futures. She knew she’d have a blast walking into a house for sale and talking with a family about “you could make this into a home gym, Billie’s room could be here, you might want to modify the kitchen like this” etc. etc.
Of course, she knew she wouldn’t ever REALLY become an agent - she recognized that it is hard work (not to mention feast or famine in some markets) and not just fun. But the fun part really appealed to her. Come to think of it, I’m not even a social person, and that part appeals to me too.