Friday Post May 8, 2021

It’s Friday, let’s sweep | architecture of resurgence

Photo from Windermere broker, Kayse Gundram’s March 2021 “Design Eye Candy” blog. If you are curious about where this picture is from – read about it – here! Hint: G’day Mate!

Over the next 10 weeks you will notice consistency in my vernacular wherever I roam; office meetings, blog writing, quick videos, zoom & trainings. I have been building out 10 weeks of content. You will hear the phrase “Architecture of Resurgence” from me often. What is it? Glad you ask…


I was hired over 20 years ago to Windermere as an agent with these 3 foundational pillars: 1.”hire the best people”2. “give them the best tools” and 3.”get out of their way”. While these 3 pillars have been steadfast in my time here, the environment to which the pandemic gave us to work within, naturally siloed us from each other – making parts of where we are great together – unseen. Yes, we zoomed (a lot). Yes, we pumped out content like no other on places like the HUB and your local marketing teams. Yes, we remained consistent with office meetings. Yes, we checked in on each other where we could. As I look back on the last year, that was indeed a phase of resilience. My focus is now keenly focused on what our resurgence (together) will look like. To do this, I have 5 areas of focus with you over the next 10 weeks.


Architecture of Resurgence | 5 areas of focus “made visible”

Well-being. Tools. Excellence. Community. Storytelling. All “made visible”…

Well-being “made visible”

Much of my “well-being” content will derive from a class I’ve been taking – The Science of Well-Being. The New York Times did a write up on this class as “Yale’s Most Popular Class Ever: Happiness.” Read about it – here. Yup, I’ve enrolled and am 5 weeks into the 10 week class. Lectures, rewirement weekly assignments, quizzes and geez – even a peer reviewed project that will be 50% of my grade. For those of you who don’t know – my undergraduate degree is in psychology. Naturally, I’d been keen to understand the science behind happiness.

This week, I share with you an exercise we did in week #1 of curriculum. We identified our individual “signature strengths” – with the idea behind doing so to spend more time that week in using them (and in life, in general). Curious to find out what yours are? The assessment we used in class to do so is right here!

Challenge: do more of what your signature strengths are (do less of what they are not) and this too will promote more overall well-being. Sharing with you my top 5 signature strengths > 1. perspective (wisdom) 2. honesty (courage) 3. love of learning (wisdom) 4. appreciation of beauty & excellence and 5. social intelligence (humanity). Discover your strengths and if willing, share with me!

Tools “made visible”

Launched this week on windermere.com and your agent website, consumers are now able to connect with you directly to schedule a showing. Check it out so that you are aware of this new tool. Go to your agent website – do a search, pull up a home and you’ll see the new Schedule a Showing form link on listing detail pages. On windermere.com – if a consumer wants to “schedule a showing” on your listing – that inquiry will go to you.

Excellence (sop, legal etc…) “made visible” 

The In-City Standards of Practice committee is having a Demco attorney as a guest speaker later this month. Are there any questions (not time sensitive) that you’ve been dying to ask our attorneys? Let your SOP rep know & on May 12th he/she will ask your question!

Community (with DEI lens) “made visible”

SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, May 25th 12-1:30pm – LIVE lunch & learn (via zoom) with Dr. Quintard Taylor. Participating offices will receive details next week. We’ll be discussing The History of Housing Discrimination in Washington State: What Every Realtor Should Know.

SAVE THE DATE: Friday, June 11th – offices are working to figure out what our Community Service Day will look like in 2021. If you can get involved in ideas & planning – I’m certain your office will appreciate it. Our commitment to building better communities is what we do. In the immediate, schedule around this day so that we may roll up our sleeves together and see/feel the power of us.

Storytelling (market chatter, wins, ideas worth spreading) “made visible” 

Windermere Eastlake broker received a buyer inquiry.

Followed up and after a few calls learns the couple (moving here from another state) are going to rent for a year.

Broker asked if she could help with renting a home.

She committed to making a few connections, one of which was to send an inquiry internal to our offices. Within the inquiry, broker noted that the husband is going to be starting a residency at Children’s Hospital.

Within minutes of her email, a fellow broker responded with a home within blocks of Children’s Hospital.

The couple is visiting this week and called to say they are signing a lease for this house….and that the “other broker they talked to blew them off because he helps clients buy and sell homes, not rent“.

Within this interaction, this client had 3 touches with Windermere and were all positive and yes, maybe it nets a transaction in a year when they think they’ll be ready to buy.

Going that extra one degree to find a solution can make the difference in relationship & trust.

The Eastlake broker who shared this story with me entitled her email subject to me: “How we roll...”

…you are right Bonnie Cech, this is how we roll!

All in, for you. All in, for us.

And oh yes, Mother’s Day is upon us! How about a quick read on what Stephen Curry says the best advice he ever got came from his mom when he was 13 years old – article here. Thank you Tammy Heldridge for sending this to me this week – indeed, we do “write our own story.”

The next 10 weeks I will write a story of resurgence – join me!