I spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, and while selling real estate might seem like a pretty big career change, the two have more in common than you might think.
Both involve helping people through big transitions. Both require you to stay calm when plans change. And both have taught me that sometimes the most important part of doing your job well is simply listening, figuring out what someone needs, and helping them get there.
There is one other thing my Coast Guard career gave me that comes in particularly handy as a Realtor: I know what it feels like to move.
Not the fun, HGTV version where everything fits neatly into labeled boxes and you magically know where the grocery store is on Day One. I mean the real version — figuring out a new community, a new commute, new schools or childcare, new routines, and which box somehow contains the coffee maker.
I Understand Relocation Because I’ve Done It
When you’re moving to a new area, finding a house is only part of the decision. You also need to figure out where your life is going to happen.
That can be especially challenging here in Hampton Roads. We have so many different cities and communities, and what looks relatively close on a map doesn’t always tell you the whole story. Bridges, tunnels, traffic, military installations, and where you need to be every morning can make location every bit as important as the house itself.
When I’m helping someone relocate, I want to know more than how many bedrooms they’re looking for. We talk about things like:
Those answers help us narrow down where you might feel at home — not just where we can find a house in your price range.
Military Moves Come With Their Own Set of Challenges
Hampton Roads is home to a huge military community, so I work with buyers and sellers who may be dealing with PCS orders, tight timelines, long-distance house hunting, or a move that wasn’t exactly on their calendar six months ago.
I get it.
My Coast Guard background doesn’t mean I’ll pretend moving is easy. It means I understand that sometimes you don’t have the luxury of making every decision slowly. You need good information, someone who will communicate with you, and a Realtor who can keep things moving when you’re juggling approximately 47 other things.
And yes, sometimes that means touring homes by video, answering questions from several states away, or helping you understand why two neighborhoods that look close together on Google Maps can create very different daily routines.
Service Didn’t End When I Retired
The uniform is gone, but the service mindset stuck around.
Real estate is a major financial decision, but it’s also deeply personal. My job isn’t to push someone toward a particular house or rush a decision. It’s to give my clients the information they need, advocate for them throughout the process, and help make a complicated transition feel a little more manageable.
Whether you’re receiving orders to Hampton Roads, moving here for a new job, buying your first home, selling a home you’ve loved for years, or simply moving across town, my approach is pretty much the same:
Listen first. Do the homework. Communicate. Solve problems. And take care of people.
Turns out, some Coast Guard training comes in pretty handy in real estate.
If you’re relocating to Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, or elsewhere in Hampton Roads, I’d be happy to help you get the lay of the land before you start looking at houses.
Sometimes the best place to start isn’t a listing. It’s a conversation.
Colleen Kovach
Hampton Roads Realtor | Retired U.S. Coast Guard Officer
757-575-9005 | sold@colleen757realestate.com
colleen757kovach.com