People often ask me what I enjoy most about my job and what I do, and for me, it is simple. When I started Homes for Expats, it was to help other expats in the same boat as myself never make the same mistakes I made when buying a home and to assist them with their property journey. That is still true and remains our core focus, but the part I love most is helping our clients buy their first home in the Netherlands.
Most of our clients are first-time homeowners, and that’s a big deal! They are trusting us with one of the most important decisions they will make here in the Netherlands: the decision to buy a home. I wonder how many people realize just how significant this is to an expat. Not only have they moved to a new country and have to navigate that minefield—which is a whole book on its own—but they have to do so in a foreign language. It’s not like buying a hamburger where the stakes are low; we are talking about life-changing amounts of money here, and they have to really trust the professionals they have employed to have their best interests at heart. It’s a big decision and a scary one, trusting others to help you on this journey, especially in another country. Most expats don’t have family here in the Netherlands to support them during this time and whom they can use as a sounding board to check if the home they are choosing is the right one, or for the multitude of other questions their family could answer and the invaluable support they could provide if they were here.
Being an expat myself, having bought a home here, and having helped countless others buy homes in the Netherlands, I understand just how big of a deal it is! So, getting back to the best part of my job, it is simply this: I get to be a part of people’s joy! I get to be their first real estate experience in buying a home. I get to set the tone for all their future property transactions. If I do my job well, I get to make this one of the most memorable and life-changing experiences of their lives. Now, that too is a big deal, and the responsibility of this I do not take lightly. I feel truly privileged to be chosen to walk this journey with people! The massive amount of trust being placed in me is not lost on me!
The best part of my job is the happy smiles, the hugs, the phone calls months later to share their joy and tell me about the changes they have made to their new homes, and the coffee invites. I get to be part of helping people find homes, put down roots, and finally feel at home! How could you not love being part of something that changes people's lives in such a profound way?
I really feel blessed, grateful, and truly humbled to be a part of it all!
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