by James Stefanile, ABR, GRI, SRES, QSC, REALTOR/Salesperson, Prudential NJ Properties, Montclair, NJ
Go ahead, click the “play” button…
Looks like fun, doesn’t it? I have no idea what it’s all about save it’s “Gangnam Style” by the South Korean artist PSY (that’s the guy, I think. It’s hard to tell since it’s all in Korean except for “sexy lady” and “baby”. I’m sure he’s from South, not North Korea or else it’d be called “Starvation Style”). It’s been around since the summer and I became aware of it when it was announced on the news (the network news, no less) that it’s the all time most viewed YouTube video. It has 861,218,607 views as of this writing.
What more perfect piece to get us all in the holiday mood? Fun is on my mind, for a change, since business is much, much better and the holiday season is upon us. The last 4 years in real estate are better forgotten with only the lessons learned of value. It would appear that all the predictions of better times starting in 2012 are coming true. I can see it in my own volume and the number of closings I have coming up. It’s nice to have a little dough coming in as the holidays approach and it’s made me downright frisky. If you see me rodeo dancing you’ll know why (don’t get your hopes up).
I finally feel like a real estate veteran. I’ve been through boom and bust, the inevitable cycles of the market which have been constant for the past 50 years in real estate. I came into the profession during the artificially extended boom years and did well, like every other agent with a pulse. Then came the “adjustment”. Doing well in those years required real skill and the fact that I’m still here, along with all the other REALTORS still plying their trade, is a testament to more than just luck and I feel a certain sense of pride coming out of the dark time.
And coming out, I believe, we are. The banks have to catch up and start responsibly but consistently lending and the consumer has to jump back into the pool. It’s on the cusp now but good news begets good news and I believe 2013 will be a year that will tempt us to forget the past few years. We shouldn’t forget, of course. We need to remember what got us into the mess in the first place and, armed with that cautionary tale, we move on.
But back to the mindless fun! Watching well made motion pictures, whether they be music videos, theatrical movies or commercials makes me remember the excitement of producing them. And the fun. And the exhaustion. And the big salaries! I’m looking forward to even a whisper of that excitement in my feelings about real estate going forward. Those tv and movie producing experiences were genuinely exciting. That’s right, I said it – pulse pounding, goose bump raising, accelerated respiration – exciting. You may remember I don’t use the term exciting loosely (and scold those who do) but I mean it here. In real estate I usually have to settle for satisfying over exciting but I’ll take it as we move into December and all the festivities it brings.
All this occurred to me as I watched the folks in that music video prancing and dancing and flirting and doing a few things I wish I could un-see (that elevator scene…). I’ll bet they had the time of their lives making that little piece and they made me laugh and think about fun, again – “Gangnam Style”.
Ready for some more mindless fun? Click “play” down below – oh – and Happy Holidays!
A Real Estate Blog by Jim Stefanile 