When I was young, I didn’t think I’d have a career at all! As an adult, I realized I could raise a family and still have room in my life for meaningful work. I knew that I found the most fulfillment out of being a caregiver, someone who lent support, and I found the role in which I could deliver that.
In my childhood, I never thought much about my future career. My mom and I had raised my siblings and me. My mother was a true role model for me, she helped mold the template for many adult women I knew: to be a wife, a mother, and a homemaker. I still believe in the power of those roles, and I’ve fulfilled them; they’re important. But I came to realize that it didn’t preclude me from having a career; it took me some time to realize that. When I was preparing to leave home, I needed to decide where to go and I eventually chose to set off for Austin to get an education.
After I got my degree, I still wasn’t sure what the best path was for me. Instead of waiting for an adventure to come to me, I decided to choose one for myself!
My friend Sheila and I packed our bags and set off for Europe and our time there was amazing!! I’ve since gone back and gained a new appreciation for everything there, but back then, being so young, everything was so new and exciting, it was almost too much to process. But we also felt very grown-up and sophisticated, and we wanted careers to match. It was also during our travels there that we decided to become paralegals.
That was really how I came to realize that I could have a career. I found myself in a fast-paced office, surrounded by lawyers, which was familiar to me since my father was one himself. It perhaps wasn’t the most ideal fit - I know now that it wasn’t my calling - but I was good at it and later became a recruiter. And it was in that World that I did meet the man who would make me a wife, a mother, and a homemaker, who ironically was also a lawyer.
As good and happy I was working as a recruiter, I felt drawn to a new challenge. It was also important to me that any new career have a strong personal element where I could nurture personal relationships.
I'm a caregiver by nature. I’ve been that way with my entire family. I’ve lost many people in my life, many far too young. I’ve discovered that I’m the one who’s called to care for them and make the big decisions. That was true when my grandmother died, when my mother died, and most tragically, when my sister died. She was only 56, and I remember how unfair it felt. She wasn’t married, didn’t have any kids, and it just seemed like she could have done so much more if her time hadn’t been cut short. I needed support to work through those complicated feelings and to put her affairs in order.
In hindsight, it’s the reason that real estate is the right industry for me to be in. Providing care and support is what I naturally feel called to do. It only makes sense that I’ve found a career where I can provide that. I’ve done a lot of work in Estate sales, and they tend to be the most personal. Being there to help people transition after the loss of a loved one can be incredibly powerful.
Even working with my own brothers has made me feel closer to them. I knew them as my siblings, now I know them for the mature adults they’ve become. That’s how close the relationship between a real estate agent and a client is. It’s an important connection. I hope to form a strong relationship like that with you and be the person you can count on.
And then there’s Duke, he has been the light of our lives for the past eleven years. He’s our rescue dog, but I think he rescued us just as much as we rescued him. He’s perfect. If you’ve met me in person or seen any photos, you may already know him. He’s a part of the team.
I see myself as having a team dynamic with my clients. I personally take on the role of a mentor. I’m here to help the clients in various ways. On the one hand, there's a lot of emotion involved, which I can help shoulder. There’s also a lot of stress with so much to do. I can help alleviate some of it, by bringing in any service you may need, whether it’s getting organized, prepping the house, or hiring a contractor. I’ll find the right vendor for the client. I’m straightforward without being pushy and believe I can make anything happen. I have the track record to prove it. I hope I have the opportunity to prove it to you as well!
Sincerely,
Therese Rourk
REALTOR®
