A Letter from Chris Suarez

GET YOUR GO BAGS READY

The ninth tropical storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season has formed and is currently picking up strength in the central Caribbean Sea. As news of the storm builds and threatens to make landfall, most begin preparing their homes and their family in case they need to mobilize quickly for the storm.  

For some it may be their first storm. Others have weathered many before and will weather many more in the future. Many choose to live in the path of those storms for the beauty around them the majority of the year - the tropical weather, the ocean air,  the palm trees - and the lifestyle that comes with it.  

Most have their emergency Go Bag by the door. They know the drill. They’ve prepared in advance. Every cubic centimeter in the bag is filled.  They have their water bottle, purification tablets, daily rations of food for three days, flashlights, flares, emergency blankets, first aid kit, toothbrush, soap, sanitizer, cell phone charger, maps, duct tape, knife, fire starter, matches, some currency. They are ready. Their bag is full.  

It struck me that perhaps there are a few that were almost ready. They bought the backpack. They printed out the preparedness checklist and put in the backpack - telling themselves they’d work through the list and get it into the backpack eventually. But eventually never came. They had all the knowledge in the world on how to prepare for the storm that might one day be here, but they never took action.  

They had all the knowledge and knew exactly what they needed to do, but never did it. Knowledge is not enough. Knowledge is knowing what to do. Wisdom is doing it.  

And the storm has arrived.  

The real estate market is experiencing a storm right now. It’s definitely touched down in certain states and its headed to a market near you.  The only question is whether or not you are prepared. Did you do the work leading up to this moment to 

Did you right size your financials? Did you develop the right habits? Did you get into business with the right talent? Are you running the right playbooks? Did you partner with the right people? Is your backpack filled with everything it will take to survive through the storm?

Our industry has been enjoying tropical weather, ocean air, palm trees - and the lifestyle that came with the incredible market we were lucky enough to experience. But the benefits of living through that incredible market bring with it the reality of the storm seasons as well.

Those that are most prepared will be ok. Surround yourself with those that know the drill - that have been through this before, that will lead you through the storm, that will keep you safe. The outdoor furniture is bolted down or brought inside. The shutters are up. The containers are filled with drinking water. The Go Bag is by the door.  

And I promise, for this storm, you’ll need that bag.

Let go.

Chris