WENATCHEE, WA.  Sept 22, 2014  - Steve Bishop is a man on a mission.  Purposeful and focused, Steve has built an impressive career in Wenatchee over the past 29 years and has become a sought out real estate agent/broker, friend & mentor in this community.  He is very clear about his priorities in life and manages an impressive schedule as well as a top tier book of business with his team.  Our time together was marked by humility as he shared stories of success and failure and how everything comes back to the central principle of genuine care for others.

  

Steve and his wife, Cheryl, have been married 40+ years now.  They moved to Wenatchee in 1976 where Steve worked on his education in respiratory therapy and began a 9 year career in that field.  In 1985 he hung up the stethoscope and picked up the real estate business.  Some 29 year later he finds himself on the top of the production charts with a life marked by richness of heart and clarity of purpose.

  

He is lauded in this valley by countless folks who know him as an agent, a friend, a church member, a little league coach, a missionary to far away lands, a helper, an organizer, a community participant, etc.  We met to discuss success principles in his business yet we spent most of our time reveling in the things that make a life successful.

  

Most notable to Steve is his family and faith.  He dotes over his wife, their 3 kids, their 10 grand kids.  We sat in happy, teary silence as he announced his youngest grandchild, Sydney Hope, now just a few weeks old and the long awaited baby of Nate and Jenny.  He spoke proudly of his daughters Cathy and Joy, their families and all the preparations for Joy's upcoming wedding in October.  We laughed, as dads of grown daughters will do, about how protective we are of our little girls even when they're all grown up, and how now having grand children puts our protective dad 'thing' in high gear.  

We chatted about his 12+ mission trips to the far reaches of the world, helping the hurting and needy.  Of his 7 different trips to the Ukraine, I asked him "what's it like for you to hear about the Ukraine in the news these days?" to which he reflectively responded "They all have faces and names to me.".

  

On the business front Steve and his biz partner Sharon are already ahead of the impressive year they put up in 2013.  His biggest closing of his career helped ($4mm). Yet, exciting as that production boosting monster was, his heart still beats fastest for the sales where he gets to help a young family buy their first home, or when he gets to help a former kid from a little league team buy his first place, or when he tenderly helps an elderly couple sell a home that they needed to sell.

  

"It's all about the relationships for me" he repeated.  He reminded me that two of the four most common reasons folks sell their home is due to a divorce or a death and that those situations clearly required a tenderness of heart.  

  

Steve credits the top things attributable to his success in the past as being the same missional points he still brings to work daily

  

Genuine Care for People:
this helps him keep the big picture in mind and reminds him that he is dealing with peoples memories and lives, not just brick and mortar.

  

Golden Rule is the ONLY rule: 
treat others the way you'd like to be treated

  

Communication is Key: 
During a listing or a purchase we will have to talk about the positive and the negative with trust and open sharing.  I will always be open and honest, fair and forthright with my clients.

  

Be a connected and participating member in your community: 
This is where he generates much of his business, through day to day connection in the community.  Folks looking for a great agent should look for one who is plugged in and serving!

  

Referral based business will have great references: 
If you're looking for a great agent, they should be able to give you great references.  Steve encouraged buyers and sellers, when looking for a great agent, to ask title companies, banks, attorneys, accountants, etc. 

  

Doing the right thing is always good business: 
Every professional should know this.  I'm open to negotiation, of course, but I don't want to do a deal where someone is clearly taking advantage of another.  And, yes, I have fired a client for this very thing.

  

Leave your client smiling: 
if your client is happy, be happy for them.  If the deal costs you a little something to get it done because it's the right thing to do, then do it.

  

Success is often best learned through failure: 
I've written checks for every mistake I've made (some big!) and I've counted my blessings for every success I've had.  But always, always be learning.

  

I asked Steve to give me a 30 second elevator speech, Why choose Steve and his team?  "29 years of learning is now available to you.  This is my calling, not just my job.  This is the place where my passions and abilities intersect.".  *It took him all of 10 seconds and he knew it off the top of his head!

  

In closing I asked Steve to let me behind the curtain a bit and have him share things that his many clients have praised him for over the years.  He mentioned 4 things; Integrity, Listening, Staying on top of things and the great teammate I work, Sharon.

  

Steve is having significant influence on the Wenatchee valley and beyond.  We salute his success, past and present, and pray for his continued impact.

Steve can be reached at 509-679-7004, email at sbish@nwi.net or you can visit his website at www.wenatcheeliving.com