When deciding to enter the world of real
estate in mid-2007, Tyler Zyph could have
never predicted the historical crash that
would soon derail the housing market. As the industry floundered around him,
he wondered how the decision to leave
the relative comforts of a steady paycheck
and health benefits that a previous sales job
afforded him would affect his life.
“I had a mortgage and a truck payment and
everything else that a single guy in his late
20s wants to spend his money on, and
the income was basically gone. They were stressful
beyond words,” says Tyler, recalling days
that he’s glad to say are now in the rearview
mirror. “I always loved sales and people and
being part of a solution, and knew that’s what real
estate could be for me so I decided to continue to be
present in my job: going to the office every day, asking
questions of established agents, just doing the things I
saw successful agents do. By and large, I’ve stuck with
those as the basics. Most importantly, I realized early
on that the lasting commodity in the industry is the
only one that matters anyway: relationships. Without
them, I don’t succeed.
“I have a reputation for straightforward honesty,
for better or worse, and this isn’t the type of sales job
where you ‘sell’ anything but yourself. I stuck with that
model, so to speak, and figured out that I needed to
sell trustworthiness and honesty before I ever sold a
house. Paychecks are great and all, but if I don’t put
satisfied people back into the marketplace saying ‘You
should call Tyler, he knows what he’s doing,’ then the
paychecks will stop. So I’ve maintained that as
my focus, and the rest takes care of itself.”
Tyler has had the opportunity to cultivate those
relationships essential to his real estate success through
participation in many local endeavors. He’s entering
his third year with the Inland Empire Football Officials
Association. Along with volunteering at Hoopfest and
with Upward Basketball, Tyler is also a board member
for the Spokane Cougar Club. An avid supporter of
Washington State Athletics, he makes a donation to
the Cougar Athletic Fund with each closed transaction. He says, “It’s a way to keep it fun for me and support
something I have a great passion for.”
When asked to reflect on the decision to stick it out
back in bleaker times, Tyler takes evident pride in the
fact that he made it out alive. “I am grateful to those
that set examples for me back then, because I love what
I do today. In fact, having the knowledge that I was able
to learn the ropes and ultimately figure this thing out
during the biggest down turn in real estate history lets
me know I’m probably cut out for it.”
