by Margaret Hirsch
Are you stuck in a job that pays well, puts a roof over your head and food on the table, but secretly, deep down, you really wish you could be doing something else?Something that would really fill your cup. I had this conversation with a friend recently. She has just turned 40 and is in a really good, well-paying job. She is top of her game but just feels that there is more out there. That’s exactly how I felt a few years ago and so I decided to make a change.
As you all know I have been in the appliance business for over 45 years and have loved every minute. However, I have always had a secret desire to work in property. To make the change in South Africa would be difficult but not impossible but I thought it was time for an adventure. So, I headed off to the USA and found that although it was a four-year degree here, it was possible to do a crash course which I did and passed.
Then the big crunch, I had to do the state exam at the Florida Atlantic University which was very intimidating as firstly it took me an hour to find the examination hall. Thank goodness I went the day before, and secondly, I had to submit to a body search to ensure that I wasn’t taking anything in that I shouldn’t. I even had to remove the tissues from my pockets! The first computer I used didn’t work but I was undeterred and determined to carry on, so I was moved to a second computer and started the gruelling exam which lasted three hours. When I eventually finished and hit the submit button, the whole screen went black, and the computer malfunctioned. I had a horrible feeling that all my work had been lost. It got worse, the lady in charge could not access my exam but assured me it was on the cloud, and she would have to re-boot her computer and I should wait half an hour, which I did. Half an hour later she had another problem and she said I should go home and try and access it online which proved impossible. I had to call in my trusty right hand (wo)man Fay who managed to get it off the cloud and sent me the happy news that I had passed. Word soon got out and I was offered over 250 jobs!!
That was unexpected so I sifted through them all and chose three. One was the biggest agency in the state which offered amazing training, but I thought I would get lost in the crowd of so many other realtors. The second was a boutique agency really close to my home run by a super broker with lots of experience who I was sure would teach me well but ultimately, I chose the third one. A really new dynamic agency and that’s how I ended up with a boss who is 27 years old, a self-made millionaire who came to the USA aged 14, unable to speak English but worked really hard and although his degree was in Sports Science (his parents wish) he decided to go into property and the rest is history.
So, I embarked on the journey I had been thinking about for years, only one problem, there are over 250 000 other realtors in Florida, many of whom are third and fourth generation and all really well connected. I soon realised that I couldn’t be everything to everyone so decided to specialise in helping South Africans who have a wish to emigrate or invest in property in the USA. I have also teamed up with another ex-South African and his team who have two massive new towers of condominiums (flats) to sell so my area of expertise is from the really inexpensive houses and condos to the super luxury ones. My boss recently listed a house for $40m and rented another house out for $200 000 a month!!
If you feel your cup is not being filled in your current organisation, or that time is running out and you may never accomplish that amazing dream you had as a child/young person/pre corporate worker, then decide to take the plunge and give it a try. Whatever it is, you will never know unless you try, there are no failures – either you win, or you learn!
So wish me luck as I embark on my new journey into “selling sunsets” in the USA, every day is an adventure and if you are looking to move to the USA or know someone who is, please look me up on my website www.margarethirschrealtor.com and I will do whatever I can to ensure that you get the best possible deal.
Much Love,
Margaret Hirsch