Why I Work at Redfin: Sonal Basu, Agent Relations

I started my real estate career as a traditional agent at a traditional brokerage. Like many people, I wanted a flexible schedule, wanted to be my own boss and wanted to make big commissions.

But what I didn’t realize was that a flexible schedule meant making myself available 24/7. Being my own boss meant the constant stress of making a certain number of sales for survival. And when it came to commissions, I never knew when and where the next one would be coming from!

I managed my own income, expenses and taxes. I paid desk fees, insurance costs, marketing costs and MLS dues. I was responsible for finding my own clients, through cold calling, advertising or word of mouth. I was a team of one.

The Redfin Secret Sauce: Teamwork

After four years and a total of 30 transactions as a traditional agent, I joined Redfin in 2010 as a transaction coordinator. My job was to handle all the final details of a home sale once a buyer’s offer had been accepted. I worked with inspectors and appraisers, helped complete paperwork and made sure the closing went smoothly and happened on schedule. In my first year, I helped three highly successful agents complete more than 200 transactions, and I learned a lot from them in the process. I was part of a team that worked together to ensure that customers had someone helping them every step of the way.

I was soon promoted to be a Senior Agent and, a year later, to be a Team Lead. I helped 110 families buy homes in three years and received a number of regional and national honors for my work as an agent. None of that would have been possible without every member of my team.

Redfin set me up for success. Redfin agents are paid salaries, we get benefits, and we don’t have to hunt down our own customers.

The Many Hats of a Real Estate Agent

No two days are the same when you’re a real estate agent. I love that the job has given me the opportunity to wear a number of different hats. Here are a few of them:

Educator: We teach our customers about the home-buying process every day, but we also host home-buying classes to educate the general public.

Babysitter: I remember one of my first home-buying classes, when I ended up giving twins some paper and pens and sitting them in a conference room while I hosted the class (in our brand new office).  After class, I noticed pen marks all over our new white leather furniture.  I immediately invested in some washable crayons and coloring books.

Handyman: Sometimes clients need paint touch-ups or some help with hammering.

Advisor: Whether it’s a tip for getting a loan moving forward or guidance on negotiating a repair, an agent’s experience can help buyers who are navigating a complicated process for the first time.

Therapist: Buying a home is stressful, and it puts strain on relationships. Real estate agents have helped save marriages and relationships between parents and children, and provide a shoulder or a listening ear during hard decisions surrounding divorces and deaths of family members.

Animal control officer: I once had to help relocate a family of raccoons, and every agent has cleaned up after a client’s pet a time or two.

Firefighter: I helped put out lots of “fires” as a Transaction Coordinator, Agent and then Team Lead.  I learned to solve problems without breaking a sweat.  I learned to be my clients’ strong support while helping them through stressful events.

Team player: The best hat I wear is that of a team player and a friend to a team of superheroes.  I learned how to build a strong team who support and trust one another on our successes and failures to make us each our very best!  Redfin has provided me with the opportunity to work alongside the best of the best and to form lifelong friendships.

I could have never imagined wearing all these hats and being so successful as a team of one. I am never a team of one at Redfin. I have the power of engineers, technology experts, managers and other peers behind me.  They make sure I have all the support I need to succeed by providing tools, technology and amazing opportunities every single day.

Last month, I was provided the opportunity to grow into a new role of Agent Relations.  I now help top talents in real estate find their career at Redfin. I would love to share many other stories of my success at Redfin, so if you think you might want to work at Redfin, let’s connect!

This post is part of a series titled “Why I Work at Redfin.” Check out other posts in the series to learn more about what it’s like to work at a growing customer-first real estate brokerage. For more information on Redfin, and to check out open jobs at the company, visit Jobs at Redfin.