Real Estate Blog

Recently someone asked me, “Hey Alan! How did you get into Real Estate?”

Well, bottom line, I was having a mid life crisis. I had was turning 40 and kind of struggling with my job.  I used to be a sales rep in the audio video business. I sold high-end home theater/audio systems. For over a decade I had been traveling the southeast meeting with clients that were integrating high-end home theaters audio systems video systems into their homes.  I really enjoyed that work but actually what happened was this thing called the great recession. People basically stopped building homes in 2007 and 2008. People certainly stopped spending $80 to $100,000 on home theater equipment! As that business kind of dwindled down and everything was a struggle. Sales were terrible, and there I  was trying to figure out what to do. I was turning 40 years old and kind of on the verge of getting burned out with what I’d been doing. I’d been in sales for 10 year, and in the a/v industry for almost 20. 

I had always wanted to sell real estate-I found it fascinating. I always thought “hey showing property sounds great! That would be a lot of fun.” I'd always really wanted to do that. I had bought and sold a few homes on my own, for sale by owner stuff, and I had really enjoyed the whole process. 

At this time, everyone was bailing out of the real estate industry. I saw this as my opportunity-I could jump in knowing nothing and have time to train before the market hit 100 miles per hour again. I liked the whole process of easing into it; it was nice to be able to get in learn the processes, learn the forms, learn the legalities, when things weren't running 100 miles an hour so that's what i did. I also knew that the recession would not last forever-we would come out on the other side and I was going to be ready for it.

It's been a great choice for me. Things worked well. It was still the toughest thing I've ever done in my life and I don't want to start over again! But I think the timing was great for me and my  business.  I think that I got in at the right time I enjoy what I do-I love helping people with real estate.

If you have any questions about this or anything else in the real estate process just give me a call. I’m Alan Castleman with Hickman Realty Group, and I’m here to help you!

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