Have you ever met someone who just oozes happiness? A person whose enthusiasm about everything ? even the mundane ? is infectious? Well, I just did; her name is Pam McCutcheon, and you?re about to meet her too.
I?m not sure, but I think that Pam?s personality type is popularly labeled ?gregarious? or ?bubbly.? What I do know for sure is that it?s the type of personality people gravitate toward and is, thus, the perfect fit for real estate.
I spoke with Pam as she drove between house showings, being tailed by a client who she?s getting the feeling isn?t really ready to buy, but he likes driving around looking at houses with her. See what I mean?
It was Montana fly fishing that brought McCutcheon to the real estate industry. ?We owned a fly fishing store. Customers would come in and tell me how they?d fallen in love with Montana and wanted to buy property here, so I would refer them to a local agent. One of these buyers purchased a $5 million property. I got a plant as a thank you gift from the agent. A plant,? says McCutcheon. ?That was when my husband and I decided that one of us needed to get a real estate license.?
McCutcheon began her real estate career with a large company, eventually striking out on her own with the purchase of a franchise. Surprisingly, it wasn?t until she gave up the franchise and started Small Dog Realty that her business exploded.
Coming out of the recession, her small boutique firm handles about 20 transactions a year and 30 percent of those are dual agency deals. She employs a part-time assistant and has someone who takes care of the social media duties she doesn?t have time for, such as writing, posting and just generally staying on top of it.
A native of Cincinnati, McCutcheon lived in Chicago for over two years, San Francisco for almost three and Los Angeles for two and a half days. With a toddler and an infant, she and her husband decided they wanted a better, more wholesome environment in which to raise their children and moved to Livingston, Mont. in 1988. They made the move to Bozeman 12 years ago and found a perfect fit.
So, why did McCutcheon choose to name her brokerage Small Dog Realty? Set aside a good hour, at least, if you plan on asking her this question. It?s all about her passion: dogs. More specifically, she named her company after a small dog she rescued, and kept, a cavi-poo (Cavalier King Charles spaniel and poodle mix).
?She may be tiny but she?s smart, she?s fearless and she attracts people like a magnet. She is so much like my business. We may be small, but we can do anything the big real estate companies do, and more,? McCutcheon explains.
Once Small Dog Realty was up and running, however, something kept nagging at McCutcheon. Something was missing.
?In my car I always listen to motivational tapes and I love Oprah. One day she was talking about ?feeding your soul.? That resonated with McCutcheon and motivated her to consider what would adequately feed her own.
?I really wanted to do something to help animals. I wanted to make people understand the need to rescue, not buy, dogs. Stop the breeding,? McCutcheon says.
She started out volunteering at shelters. As her business picked up, however, she was forced to cut back on that aspect of animal rescue but struck on another idea. She started a newsletter that not only addressed Bozeman real estate and events, but highlighted dogs in need of homes. ?I sent these newsletter e-mail blasts to 2,400 people ? past clients, customers from the old fly fishing store, even other agents,? says McCutcheon.
As word of this doggy angel spread, McCutcheon found herself inundated with phone calls and e-mails from potential adoptees, even from far-away states such as Tennessee and New York. Last month, McCutcheon placed seven homeless dogs in new homes.
She also sponsors the K9 9K, a dog run. Part of the proceeds from the run go to canine cancer research.
Her reputation as a rescuer never ceases to amaze her. She chuckles when she mentions a recent conversation that started with someone asking her: ?You sell houses too??
Indeed, McCutcheon sells houses. She gives 5 percent of all real estate commissions to a shelter or a rescue organization in need, and she still finds time to go hiking with her dogs, bike ride, snowshoe, cross-country ski and, her favorite, run.
?Wherever there?s a cry for help, I?m going to help. It gives me purpose and motivation,? says McCutcheon, a woman who has found the perfect balance between serving her family, her career, her community and her passion.
?I feel really fulfilled. I?m doing more than making a living; I?m giving people the home of their dreams and saving those without a voice.?
Source: http://www.realestate.com/advice/real-estate-pro-of-the-week-pam-mccutcheon-small-dog-realty-99943
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