It’s always been about the experience, even before I became a Realtor.

Had you asked me 10 years ago about my career today, I’d probably guess that I was still working for Victoria’s Secret PINK on their Experiential Marketing Team.

That word -experiential- was the latest buzz word in the corporate world that referred to using emotional, memorable experiences to create brand recognition and loyalty. It laid the foundation for not only my first job out of college, but my entire career trajectory.

For two years, I became the PINK Bus Mom. I traveled across the country with two 40-foot polka-dotted tour buses selling PINK merchandise on college campuses and malls. The idea was to bring the brand to the girl, give her a super fun, memorable experience on her turf (campus), and create a genuine connection with her that would eventually build brand loyalty. I could bend your ear for hours telling you all my crazy travel stories, how much I learned about diesel mechanics keeping two tour buses on the road, and which airport is my favorite. But- the most important thing I learned from that time in my life was how to create an experience.

Fast forward to March 2020. I was working at Justice on their Marketing Strategy Team, putting on in-store events across their 800 store fleet. I was one week into this new “work from home” schedule because of a little thing called the Coronavirus. On a Friday, I was cattle-called into a Zoom meeting with about five other employees, and was officially a part of the first round of company lay-offs.

I was DEVASTATED. I couldn’t believe that in a matter of days my entire world, events, would become so obsolete and forbidden.

Enter: Real Estate.

To be completely transparent with you, being a Realtor was never in my life plan, but it became quickly apparent that it had way more in common with my “old life” than I ever thought possible.

Buying a home is the epitome of an experience. It’s something you think about, dream of and plan for from the time you’re a small child. It comes with a lot of fear, excitement and expectations. Much like planning an event, to do so effectively you’ve got to make a plan. You have to create a timeline, compile resources, and communicate clearly and often to ensure everyone is always on the same page. There are times that, due to circumstances out of my control, plans completely go to shit. I have to work overtime to find a solution or a back-up plan, but you’ll never feel it. You will just be enjoying the experience.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m not exactly concise with my thoughts. I’m not a “long story short” kind of gal. But, my point is this. Anyone (with a license) can sell you a home. Anyone can send you a listing, open a door and write a contract. I- care about the how. I care about how it feels. I care about getting you to closing table saying, “This was so much more enjoyable than I thought it would be!”

THAT is the Finding Home with Ali difference.