Sean Hanlon

The Facilitator

When people hear that I've transitioned from a life in academia to a life in the field of real estate, the reactions they exhibit run the gambit from cynical eye roles to bemusement and befuddlement. Real estate agents do not engender the same respect and warm, fuzzy feelings as those who have dedicated their lives to facilitating the educational and intellectual aspirations of developing, young adults. It seems that for every story of a real estate agent who has gone beyond the pale to bring in their clients deal, champion their best interest, or otherwise been instrumental in assisting people in fulfilling their real estate dreams, there are ten times more stories of agents whose aberrant behavior and lack of ethical acumen leave a scar on the public psyche that is virtually impossible for other agents to overcome.

But it doesn't take long before those that really know me to remember who I am, and to realize that I am exactly the person that the real estate profession needs. I have been a facilitator of goals, hopes and dreams my entire adult life. There is no greater level of fulfillment for me than to witness the elation a person feels after having succeeded in achieving a personal or professional goal or milestone, and knowing that I facilitated that achievement. If I could put a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on my table with fulfillment alone, I wouldn't have ever charged my skydiving and college students a cent.

Hence, after nineteen year in academia, preceded by 15 years in skydiving, and over a decade of buying and selling property on both coasts, I am continuing in my role of facilitator. I am leading others through the process of finding a home in which to raise a family, spend their later years, or diversify their investment portfolios. All of the skills I've developed thus far are perfectly suited to supporting my clients through the stress and fear of deciding on a purchase place and price, the technique and strategy of negotiations and the bureaucracy of the escrow and lending process. Most of all, my professional and personal experience has engendered in me an ethic centered around focusing on the needs of the individual. My client's happiness and welfare is always the first and last consideration of every interaction, every day throughout the years of our relationship.