Broker/Owner: ‘There’s a Difference Between Reason and Purpose’

Wendy Bunch started her RE/MAX career in 1996, earned the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and opened a RE/MAX office in 2013. The new Broker/Owner exemplifies all the good that comes from working with passion, always pushing for more and embracing the RE/MAX competitive advantages. She shares he thoughts here.

If someone were to ask us why we became Realtors, I would expect most of us to have similar answers.

We love helping our clients reach their goals. We find satisfaction supporting families and the housing market in our communities. We’re motivated by the competition to earn and close the sale. And as RE/MAX agents, we especially love the freedom we have to think and act like entrepreneurs, and run our business our way.

It’s easy to list reasons. But how would you respond if someone asked, “What’s your purpose?” The answer might not come to mind as easily.

That’s probably because purpose implies a plan of action, as well as the vision to create it and the commitment to see it through. Defining our purpose pushes us to think past reasons for what we do and challenges us to set parameters that guide our actions every day.

In my case, I set a goal to open my own RE/MAX franchise. One of the many reasons is that it simply felt like the right and natural next step for me. My purpose for doing this, on the other hand, is not really about me. My purpose is to create an experience for my clients and agents that shows I put them first. This comes through in my commitment to listen more than I speak, serve their needs on their unique terms, gain more industry education to better support them, and embrace changes in technology that will help streamline all our communications and processes.

Having a clear purpose matters. Now is as good a time as any to start defining one – or maybe refining one. A purpose is not something to set and forget; it should evolve. And we’ve all made the choice to be part of the RE/MAX network, with a culture of continual evolution and improvement. There’s endless encouragement and support to take a more purpose-driven approach in our businesses and our lives.

As RE/MAX Affiliates, we expect more of ourselves and we want others to expect more from us, too. If you’re looking for inspiration to tackle the year with purpose, the stories and agents featured in this edition of ABOVE might offer just what you need.