Introduction
Starting a blog is harder than I planned. First I had to think of a title, then I had to register a domain name, and that was very hard. I finally decided to do it with my name as I am trying to promote myself more in the business. I then had to pick a server, and decided on blogger as I am familiar with it. After that came the template, I wanted something where I could include some pictures of this great area of the country. By the way, these pictures were all taken by me! Finally I had to set up all the links that I thought appropriate for the consumer. I'm sure I will adding many more as I go along. After all of this was done, it came the time to start posting, but posting about what? This is the hardest to me due to the fact that I am handicapped in writing in English, but I will certain try, if not with my own words with words of others.
The purpose of this blog will be to inform the consumer whether it be a buyer, a seller or just the curious consumer about the Real Estate market.
I've been in the Real Estate industry since 1987. I started working in a local Real Estate office as a receptionist and worked there for 1 year. In 1988, the largest Real Estate office at the time was hiring and I was employed by them in 1 hour. I worked the first 2 years as a receptionist until I gave birth to my son. When I came back from maternity leave, the president of the firm gave me a promotion to do some data entry and inputting listings into MLS (inputting listings into MLS back then was on a DOS computer, it was horrible, we had this tiny screen and it was very slow). All the paperwork in the office was done on a typewriter. Purchase and Sales Agreements consisted of 4 carbon less colored sheets, if we made a mistake, we would have to use different colored white outs in order to make the corrections. There were about 10 incoming phone lines and many times they all rang at once, and we could not transfer the calls to voice mails, there weren't any! We had to take individual messages and deliver them to the prospective sales agents. Cell phones didn't exist either! If we couldn't get a hold of the agent at their home number, we would have to write the message on a pink message slip and leave it for the agent until they either called or came into the office.
In 1992 I was getting bored with the work and decided to speak to the broker owner about doing something new in the company. He had the brilliant idea of a personal assistant position. I was to be the personal assistant to the top agents in the office which at the time was about 5 sales agents. Only one of the agents (Elaine Gaspar) knew how to use me to keep me busy, the other 4 had no idea of what tasks to give me, so they would try to ask me what I was doing for Elaine. I got so stressed with this new position that I gave my 2 week notice to the broker owner while he was vacationing in Florida.
After being home for 1 day, I got a call from Elaine Gaspar asking me if I would like the position of being her personal assistant. I remember asking her if she was sure she would have enough work to keep me busy for 40 hours. She told that she would try and I took the risk.
I've been busy for at least 40 hours for the past 16 years! Elaine Gaspar increased her production each year to the point of having to hire other assistants. She presently has 3, with myself being the Administrator.
In 2006, Elaine along with Glenn Rapoza decided that it was time to move on and open their own business. We moved about 1 mile down the same road. Gaspar-Rapoza Realty opened its doors in October of 2006.
2007 was a tough year for sales, but we managed to place fourth in all of Multiple Listing Service for the South Coast region (not bad for the first full year in business). This year has been even tougher, and only the professionals will survive...
The purpose of this blog will be to inform the consumer whether it be a buyer, a seller or just the curious consumer about the Real Estate market.
I've been in the Real Estate industry since 1987. I started working in a local Real Estate office as a receptionist and worked there for 1 year. In 1988, the largest Real Estate office at the time was hiring and I was employed by them in 1 hour. I worked the first 2 years as a receptionist until I gave birth to my son. When I came back from maternity leave, the president of the firm gave me a promotion to do some data entry and inputting listings into MLS (inputting listings into MLS back then was on a DOS computer, it was horrible, we had this tiny screen and it was very slow). All the paperwork in the office was done on a typewriter. Purchase and Sales Agreements consisted of 4 carbon less colored sheets, if we made a mistake, we would have to use different colored white outs in order to make the corrections. There were about 10 incoming phone lines and many times they all rang at once, and we could not transfer the calls to voice mails, there weren't any! We had to take individual messages and deliver them to the prospective sales agents. Cell phones didn't exist either! If we couldn't get a hold of the agent at their home number, we would have to write the message on a pink message slip and leave it for the agent until they either called or came into the office.
In 1992 I was getting bored with the work and decided to speak to the broker owner about doing something new in the company. He had the brilliant idea of a personal assistant position. I was to be the personal assistant to the top agents in the office which at the time was about 5 sales agents. Only one of the agents (Elaine Gaspar) knew how to use me to keep me busy, the other 4 had no idea of what tasks to give me, so they would try to ask me what I was doing for Elaine. I got so stressed with this new position that I gave my 2 week notice to the broker owner while he was vacationing in Florida.
After being home for 1 day, I got a call from Elaine Gaspar asking me if I would like the position of being her personal assistant. I remember asking her if she was sure she would have enough work to keep me busy for 40 hours. She told that she would try and I took the risk.
I've been busy for at least 40 hours for the past 16 years! Elaine Gaspar increased her production each year to the point of having to hire other assistants. She presently has 3, with myself being the Administrator.
In 2006, Elaine along with Glenn Rapoza decided that it was time to move on and open their own business. We moved about 1 mile down the same road. Gaspar-Rapoza Realty opened its doors in October of 2006.
2007 was a tough year for sales, but we managed to place fourth in all of Multiple Listing Service for the South Coast region (not bad for the first full year in business). This year has been even tougher, and only the professionals will survive...
- Cristina DeAraujo
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