From Rookie to Client Champion, a Story of Nicole Vermillion, Realtor®

Nicole Vermillion, a real estate agent with over 9 years of experience, has won the second place prize in our “From Rookie to Client Champion” contest. She has amazed us with her success, her patience and her persistence year after year to deliver the best quality of services to her clients. We asked Nicole to share her story with other real estate professionals. Thank you, Nicole, for deciding to tell us your story!

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RealSatisfied: You’ve been a Realtor for over 9 years now, do you remember your beginnings?

Nicole: My first months as a real estate agent feel like such a blur now, but I remember feeling overwhelmed, nervous, unsure of how to truly get my business off the ground and trying to soak in all the training I could get, while having two kids under 2 at home and a full-time job. 

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I took it step by step, slowly started to build a client base and once I did my first few transactions on both sides, buying and selling, I felt a bit better about how the process would go and started to work with more confidence.

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RealSatisfied: It couldn’t have been easy. You must’ve had your fair share of obstacles to overcome.

Nicole: Yes, I felt getting people to trust me with little to no experience at a young age was the hardest hurdle to overcome. I was in my mid 20's, starting a new career and truly unsure how to get myself off the ground. I remember immersing myself in training to get myself to feel more confident about the market. 

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There was one time when I felt a more experienced agent tried to get me to accept a clause in the deal that was not super common and did not explain it well, and I almost took his word for it.

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RealSatisfied: So what did you do instead?

Nicole: Before just agreeing to the term the agent wanted to incorporate into the deal, I got over my fear of looking stupid and inexperienced and asked a real estate attorney and my mentor at the time. I am so glad I did because accepting that term would not have been in the best interest of my clients and from that point on, I told myself that asking a question is a sign of wisdom, not stupidity.

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RealSatisfied: That’s powerful. If you could go back in time, to your beginnings in real estate, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Nicole: Advice I would give to my younger self would be to stop caring so much about what others think. Come from a good place of wanting to help people and improve their lives, and all will work out.

‍RealSatisfied: And after all these years you still help people.

Nicole: Yes, I love helping people. Each transaction is different and people need to know they are being cared for. Developing relationships with people is so fulfilling, and I love that I have made new friends and have become part of people's families.

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RealSatisfied: You lead with patience and persistence. Over the years, you’ve managed to build your business on referrals. How did you do it?

Nicole: Getting a referral from a client connecting me to a new buyer or seller is the biggest compliment I can receive. I aim to make each client so happy and impressed that they go out of their way to share their experience with me. I also make it a point to stay involved with my clients long after a closing by including them in client appreciation events, sharing important information about the real estate market, calling to check in, sending surprise gifts and serving as a resource for them down the road.

RealSatisfied: That’s amazing. You really care for your clients and it shows! Was there any particular sale that stands out from the rest?

Nicole: My most rewarding sale was when a client needed to find a home that was more conducive to their needs with a medically complex child. My clients lived on a busy street for many years and had a child with a wheelchair. While the child was young, it was easier to carry the child in and out of the home and to and from the car when needed, even though there was always a fear that the child was put at risk by being so close to the street in a wheelchair. 

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My clients knew they needed to find a home more suitable to the child's needs, and we found the most perfect property in the same town which did not require the other children to have to switch schools. The home they found had a handicapped ramp, and a first floor bedroom and bathroom with wide doorways to accommodate a wheelchair. 

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We knew we had to move quickly to get their existing home on the market to line up the purchase of the new one, and we did it. We had a week to get it done - a week to list their current home before we were out of contract on the new purchase, and we made it happen.

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RealSatisfied: Wow, that’s a great story! Thank you for sharing it with us. Is there anything you'd like to say to your fellow real estate agents?

Nicole: Allow your business to grow at a pace that feels comfortable for you. I grew my business organically, doing a little bit better year after year, and I feel so proud of that.

Thank you Nicole for sharing your success story!

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If you’d like to find out more about Nicole, visit her Profile Page here: https://profile.realsatisfied.com/Nicole-Vermillion