A Little Slice of TOAST: Chapin Sellin-Kurtz

Every agent at TOAST REAL ESTATE has a story beyond the sold sign. In A Little Slice of TOAST, they tell it in their own words. Today, meet Chapin Sellin-Kurtz.

Q: What part of the job do clients never see that you're most proud of?

Probably the 2 a.m. meeting I have with myself. Nobody put it on the calendar, and yet here we are.

I'll wake up thinking, "Did I lead with what makes that listing special, or did I bury the best part in photo twelve?" Or I'll replay a buyer consultation and wonder, "Did they leave clear on the plan? Should I follow up on something we rushed?"

My clients' experience is at the heart of what I do, so I'm constantly looking at my work from their side of the table. What felt easy? What could've been clearer? What could I do better next time? I'm proud that I ask, and I see the results when a buyer feels ready to make an offer or a seller tells me they felt taken care of from our first walkthrough to closing.

I'd fire whoever keeps scheduling these meetings at 2 a.m., but unfortunately, she's also the boss.

[PHOTO: Chapin at work, such as a listing walkthrough or a buyer consultation]

Q: What myth about real estate agents would you love to retire?

That realtors put a sign in the yard and wait to cash a check. By my very unofficial math, that sign is about 1/47th of the job.

The other 46/47ths look like evening showings, open houses most Sundays, and texting an anxious buyer from the waiting room at my kid's doctor's appointment. "Take a breath. Here's what we're going to do next."

On any given day, I'm prepping a listing with a stager, talking a buyer through an inspection report, and checking in with title while the lender tracks down 12 documents. And just when you think we have all 12, there's a 13th. I can spend the morning getting a Friday closing back on track and the afternoon walking through a house that won't hit the market for two months. There aren't many chances to take your foot off the gas.

Through all of it, my job is to stay calm, give honest advice, and get everyone to the closing table on time. For buyers, this may be the biggest purchase of their lives. For sellers, there's a lot riding on the sale, and often another move to pull off. When everyone finally takes that big breath at the closing table, I get to pop the champagne.

Then it's back to work. Turns out there's very little time to wait around for that check.

Q: What's your best advice for today's market, in plain words?

Give buyers a reason to choose your house.

You can't control interest rates or what the neighbor lists for, but you can control your home's condition, presentation, and price. Get those three working together from the start. That doesn't mean renovating everything or giving your house away. It means spending wisely, making your home look its best, and pricing it against the homes buyers are actually touring.

My advice? Make your house the one buyers compare everything else to. And please, let's talk before you spend $20,000 getting it ready. I may have a much shorter shopping list.

Lightning Round

Q: Years in real estate? Almost 20. Crazy! And almost two of those with TOAST.

Q: Favorite local spot for coffee or a meal? Ooh De Lally, in the old Marks spot in Dundee. Yes, they still serve the mac and cheese. Even better, it's a nonprofit that gives people coming home from incarceration a fresh start through culinary training and jobs.

Q: What are you raising a glass to this season? A great year and a little time to slow down. I'm looking forward to evenings where the only thing on the calendar is dinner with my family.

Q: Best advice you've ever received? Real estate is a relationship business. The good stuff is earning someone's trust, being honest when they need to hear it, and being the person they call three years later to ask about painting their kitchen cabinets. (Yes, I'd like to see pictures first.)

Q: If not real estate, what would you be doing? I'd be a NASCAR driver.

[PHOTO: Personal shot, such as Chapin at Ooh De Lally or with family]

Get in touch with Chapin

Want to talk through a plan for your home, or just get her take on whether to paint those kitchen cabinets? Reach Chapin by phone, 402-658-5114, or email, chapin@toast.realestate. Want more of Chapin's day to day? Follow her on Instagram and on Facebook.

Cheers! 🍾