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The personal stories of one Realtor’s battles and triumphs in the highly-competitive Bay Area Real Estate Market, seeking to illuminate and humanize the very real ups-and-downs of homeownership.
When you deserve a 10 on your sweeping skills.
I LOVE everything about the Olympics: the competitions, the drama, the stories, the sportsmanship, the pursuit of excellence for excellence’s sake, not to mention the personal sacrifices each of these young (and not so young) athletes makes to reach the pinnacles of their sport. As they gather from every corner of the world. I’m truly in awe.
However, watching the 2026 Olympics currently being broadcast from Italy, it occurred to me that I may have missed my golden opportunity. No, it’s not ice skating, or downhill skiing, or aerial snowboarding — it’s curling! You know, that odd sport we only watch every four years, that involves a 42 lb. polished granite stone, some slippery shoes, and a broom? (I don’t mean to brag, but I’m an expert at sweeping.) According to Wikipedia, “curling is a 500-year-old team sport that originated in 16th-century Scotland, and is a highly-skilled, strategic game where players slide stones toward a target, using brooms to manipulate speed and direction by melting the ice.”
Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
That’s a sport I can get behind. Never mind that I don’t actually understand the game, can’t figure out how it’s scored, or know anyone who has ever played. The fact is, I’m mesmerized by the ultra-smooth slide and release, followed by frantic sweeping to “curl” the stone into position. It’s right up my alley.
While I’d be the first to admit that I can’t play hockey, speed skate, or steer a luge (can anyone?), this girl knows how to sweep! On top of which, the “team aspect” allows you to YELL at your partner and bark out orders, which is a skill set I already naturally possess. (It’s a gift.)
Not for nothing, but I grew up in a large, messy family with six kids, which meant that our home was constantly in need of cleaning and organizing. Enter one little misplaced neat freak, and the rest is history. Who knew there was a gold medal waiting with my name on it? Unfortunately, curling wasn’t admitted as an Olympic sport until 1998, well past my prime, when I was home raising toddlers (sigh).
What beauty a broom brings
Today, my “professional” sweeping primarily involves my garden, as well as the properties we bring to market. And while it may not be the differential Sellers use to select their Agents, there’s always going to be a broom and a mop at every listing Sarah and I represent, because keeping a house presentable during its marketing period necessitates a little elbow grease. And with a team of four, one of us will always be checking on the home, turning on or off the lights, watering the yard, and yes, sweeping the interior and exterior as needed. (If you thought real estate was glamorous, think again.)
So while a broom probably isn’t the difference between what Sarah, Kate, Elizabeth, and I bring to the process compared to what our competitors do, I like to think that being detail-oriented, hands-on, and totally involved with each property matters to the Seller. (If not, it should.) Because it certainly matters to us. (Someone score us a “10” already. We’ve earned it!)
Gotta go, the ice dancing is on!
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Julie Gardner & Sarah Abel | Compass Realty
Not just Realtors, but consultants in all things house and home, we’re here to educate, explore, examine and refer . . . In short, you may count on us to take care of your home as if it were our own and anyone who knows us, knows we take pretty darn good care of our homes.
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