Irregardless...it was a fun "girl's night" out



Dinner with Marlene at The Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh, NC

 Last night I had the pleasure enjoying a fantastic meal with a friend who is also a real estate client of mine. I met Marlene when I joined the Raleigh Delta Zeta Alumni Chapter in the mid 90's. We became friends first, then when it was time to sell her townhome in Cary, she called me. I sold it for her & sold her a new home in Cary. Then a few years later she called again to sell that home for her & help her buy her dream home on the other side of Cary. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when she called a while back to talk to me about selling the dream home and maybe moving to Briar Chapel (it's in Chatham Co, but so close to Chapel Hill, that has a Chapel Hill address) or Downtown Raleigh!

Marlene's Original Dream Home in Cary

A few months ago we attended an event featuring local chefs at Briar Chapel, the neighborhood where she is considering building a home. They had set up local chefs in each of their models, so as you toured the models, you sampled a culinary delight. At each house they had a drawing for a gift certificate to the restaurant where that chef works. To my great surprise I won the gift certificate to The Irregardless Cafe in Raleigh. Which both Marlene & I agreed was the best of the bunch. And, that was saying a lot, as the others were quite delicious.

Fast forward to last night. Marlene & I finally were able to get our schedule to sync up so we could enjoy our "girl's night" out. When we arrived at The Irregardless Cafe, we were shocked at how full it was, and I was left wondering if I should have made reservations. As it turned out, they were hosting Science Cafe Raleigh. The topic that night was Livability & Sustainability in the Triangle. Perfect for a real estate agent & client who is considering purchasing a home in downtown Raleigh.

Last night was a great example of why I love what I do.  Working with friends who become clients or clients who become friends is one of the best parts of my job.  It is those times that I get to combine work with pleasure.  I have heard some agents say that it is unprofessional to socialize with their clients.  To each his own.  Personally, I feel that trust is the most important element of any relationship.  When clients get to know who you really are, beyond the business persona, then they can really begin to trust that you will take care of them like you would a friend or family member.  Once that happens you become a valuable asset to them, someone they want to work with any time they buy or sell a home and they feel comfortable about referring you to their friends & family.

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In case, you are like us and hadn't heard of Science Café Raleigh. It is a monthly event where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can participate in topical discussions with leaders in the fields of science and technology. Hosted by local Sigma Xi chapters and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, these monthly talks are located in coffee shops, bars and restaurants around Raleigh and promote discussion of science in an informal community setting.

Visit http://naturalsciences.org/programs-events/science-talks for a schedule of upcoming events.

Gina Gilliam and Gilliam & Associates Realty are in today's News & Observer

Article on the Gilliam & Associates Realty Nashville Flood Relief Drive
I organized during the summer of 2010.

In 1985 a picture of me & my friends on the Pirate Ship ride from opening day of the NC State Fair, was on the front page of the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper.  You can imagine the delight that Saturday morning when friends and family started calling, asking for my autograph.  The famousness of it all!

25 years later I felt the same excitement all over again as I read, "pulling together for a cause" by Christa Gala.  Her article was on the front page of the Real Estate section of the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper.  Once again there was my picture, with an article about the Gilliam & Associates Realty Nashville Flood Relief Drive I organized.  This time instead of phone calls, I got shout outs on facebook.

They say it's not what you know, but who you know.  I am lucky enough to know some amazing people, not least of which is Christa (Chrissy) Gala, who made both opportunities to be in the paper possible.  As you look at the picture from 1985, that's me at very top left, and the girl sitting next to me is Chrissy.  (She was the one who wanted to ride the Pirate Ship that day.) 

 In this picture from the 1985 NC State Fair, I am at the top left,
Chrissy is sitting next to me.