Mother’s Day: A Few Things I’ve Learned About Building a Home

Well, Mother's Day has come and gone again, and like it always does, it got me thinking. Not just about my own mama, or the women who helped raise me, but about what it really means to build something that lasts.

Now, I’ve been in real estate for more than 35 years, and if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: a house might get you shelter, but it’s people who make it a home.

And it’s not always the loud, flashy moments that build it either. It’s the quiet ones — the making dinner after a long day, the helping with homework at the kitchen table, the tucking in at night even when you're bone-tired. It's the small, steady work of showing up, day after day.

Mother’s Day reminds me that nurturing — whether you’re a mother by birth, by choice, or simply by the way you care for others — isn’t easy work. It’s heart work. It’s sacrifice, patience, and believing in someone else’s future, even when they can’t see it themselves.

In real estate, it’s much the same. We’re not just helping folks buy and sell property. We’re helping them find a place where life happens. Where they’ll build their stories. Where they’ll face the good days and the hard ones too.

Mother’s Day also reminds me that it’s the perfect time for agents to reach out personally — not with a sales pitch, but with real appreciation.

One simple but powerful idea? Host a "Thanks for Helping Build Homes" plant cutting giveaway. Pick a low-maintenance plant — like pothos, philodendron, or succulents — and prepare small cuttings in little pots or jars with a handwritten tag that says something like “Thanks for helping grow strong roots.”

Invite the mothers and mother-figures in your database to stop by and pick one up as a small token of appreciation. No speeches, no hard selling — just a warm hello and a genuine thank you. It's a simple gesture that speaks volumes: you see them, you value them, and you’re grateful for the homes and lives they help build. And trust me, that kind of heart-centered connection is what builds real loyalty in this business.

Mother’s Day reminds me that nurturing — whether you’re a mother, a mentor, a caregiver, or simply someone who shows up with a heart full of love — isn’t easy work. It’s heart work. It’s sacrifice, patience, and believing in someone else’s future, even when they can’t see it themselves.

So today, I just want to say thank you. To every woman (and every person) who's taken the time to make someone else's life a little softer, a little stronger, a little better — whether that’s your children, your clients, your students, or your neighbors.

You’re doing work that matters. Work that ripples out farther than you know.

And if nobody’s told you lately: I see you. And I’m grateful for you.

Here’s to the builders. The nurturers. The ones who show up when it’s hard. You are the real foundation we all stand on.

Image by Kristina Paukshtite on Pexels