“Real” Estate Stories – Perspective from Gloria Hardington

As women we always have more than one role to play; daughter, wife, mother, sister, volunteer and career person.  Sometimes these roles have to be played all at once; sometimes one or two at a time.  I was fortunate to be able to play the career role after the wife and mother roles were under control. When my youngest daughter, Meredith, went to kindergarten I knew I wanted to do something different. I had been a short term teacher and a long term volunteer in various groups and organizations. They called me “Veronica Volunteer” in a kind way.
At the time, I thought back through my life thus far, about what decisions my husband and I had made that impacted us in a positive way. I wondered if there was a way to do something that related to those decisions.  I realized that when we were transferred here to Cleveland for my husband’s job, the two Realtors who helped us find our home had a huge impact on our future.  We loved the home we lived in, and we loved our community.  It was because of the good advice of those two Realtors that we were able to come to such clarity about where we would feel most comfortable in the years ahead.  My decision was made.  I would try to pass on that good judgment to other people coming to Cleveland. So I got my real estate license.
That was 30 years ago and I must say it was one of the greatest decisions of my life. I love the thrill of helping people find the right home for themselves and for their family present or future.  I’ve helped the same family find a home for each stage of their lives together. I’ve helped multiple generations find their perfect home. I get to enjoy that thrill with them each time because each time is so different, and I get to become a small part of their lives. I’m paying it forward from those two Realtors who helped me so long ago and still are a part of my life to this day.
I feel fortunate to have a job that I love to come to everyday and that changes every day. That doesn’t mean it’s gotten easier. I’ve gotten smarter and stronger, and I can anticipate a lot of things that might come up from my experiences. From my perspective, I can see my job combines all the roles I have played often all at once!