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Remembering Your Staff People

I work out of the River Road Branch of Tierra Antigua, here in Tucson, Arizona.  Currently, Tierra Antigua manages right around 900 agents who work as independent contractors, most out of their own homes.  We can utilize the main branches for meetings with clients and other agents, classes, computer work, printing, and can stop and talk to the staff or an available broker with current questions we have.

I like the set up.  I really enjoy working on my own and the quiet of my home office.  On occasion, it better fits my schedule to spend a few hours at the Tierra Antigua office, but it's always an adjustment to hear all the other agents on their phones, visiting, or talking with staff.  It's just "louder".

The constant in this entire scenario is the staff.  The behind-the-scenes people who open our new sales and listings files, sort our mail, forward our faxes and phone calls, and generally answer questions at all times of the days.  I've 20 years of secretarial support myself in my background and I understand that "interruptions are my job" more than the actual job - but boy, there were tough days...

We have a new receptionist named Bernadette, and I can see she's trying hard to put names to faces.  She is entering new listings on her desk computer, fielding the bulk of incoming phone calls, and dealing with all the interuptions and requests any receptionist/front desk fields hundreds of times a day.  She's doing an amazing job of hiding the deer-in-headlights look with a warm smile.  My hat is off to Bernadette.

Then there's Barb - the perky blond that makes everyone feel important.  Her jaws must hurt by the end of the day, she's so sincerely friendly.  I watch her with my peripheral vision and think, "I could NEVER be that nice".

My favorite though, is the calm and unflustered Barbara M.  Barbara unofficially tutors all of us agents in how to work the different process, upload documents to SureClose, correct missing initials and signatures and more. ... And I wonder how many times she's helped us all with the copy/fax/scanning machine.  She has been there longer than I have and it's nice to see her familiar face when I come into the office.

As an agent herself, when we occasional forget something "everyday" like, "What is the wording on MLS when an agent sells their own home??" she answers simple questions like it's the first time she ever heard the question, or points out if the query is best answered by the broker, Kim Clifton, or Sales Manager, Kelly Hand.  Barbara also seems to know everyone's name and remembers things like, (example) "How's your baby girl doing - last time I saw you she had a bad cough" -- and all kinds of details like that which make a person feel warm inside even if they aren't the recipient of that attention.  

I love listening to Barbara help other agents in the background of my mind when I'm at the office completing work.  I admire and respect her knowledge, patience, and attention to detail. She's also the person that calls you to say, "Your check is in your mailbox" which no-doubt makes her a favorite with everyone!

So, I'm standing here applauding a few of the folks that make working at Tierra Antigua Realty a nice place to be.  Wherever you work, whatever you do - have you thanked, or at the very least, smiled BACK at the staff people who greeted you today?