Michael Richardson
Title: Real Estate Agent
Age: 31
Experience: 3+ years
Michael Richardson was born into a military family in South Carolina, and moved around the country several times before graduating from high school and going on study and play football at the University of Notre Dame. After graduating, he played cornerback in the NFL, including two seasons with the Patriots, before settling in the Boston area with his wife to put his marketing degree to work pursuing a career in real estate sales.
Q: What was it like to play your rookie year (2007) for the New England Patriots during their undefeated season?
A: It was an amazing feeling, that run that we had. Making it all the way that year and going to the Super Bowl my first year in the league, I’ve never felt anything like that. It’s the pinnacle for almost every guy. Unfortunately I was on injured reserve all season, so I wasn’t playing, but I made the trip and was with the team for meetings and practices. Leading up to the game there was a feeling that there was no way we could lose, like it was just meant to be. Once it got down to the game and Randy Moss scored and we went up in the fourth quarter, we thought, “we’re good.”
Then New York went on that final drive and it was just one of those things. We were up at the highest of the high and fell to the lowest of the low. There was a pretty somber feeling in the locker room after the game, but you have to pick up the pieces and regroup and get ready for the next year. It was one hell of a year. I had a lot of buddies on that New York Giants team who still rub it in my face from time to time. You have to give it up to the Giants. They had a hell of a game and it was awesome to be a part of it.
Q: What was it like working in the legendary system of Coach Bill Belichick?
A: Coming from Notre Dame, where the coach for my last two years was [former Patriots’ offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis, he implemented a lot of the things that Belichick did. The progression of each day-to-day practice and meetings was structured the same way that Belichick did in New England. That helped me to understand what was expected once I got here.
I didn’t realize how structured it was and how important it was until I went to another team that wasn’t experiencing the success that New England was. It helped me realize the little things you need to do every day to win. It was a pragmatic way of doing things, a winning way. Even the games we won, you’d come in on Monday and Belichick’s telling you all the things you did wrong. It’s humbling and it’s good because it make you want to get better at those things. It was awesome.
Q: Did you go directly from the NFL to real estate?
A: At the end of my career, in 2010-2011, I was with the Colts for about four weeks and the Chiefs had released me around Christmastime that year. That was tough, but that’s the business, and I got signed by the Colts for a few games and a wildcard game that we lost to the Jets. After that season, when the lockout occurred, a lot of things were up in the air and nobody knew what would happen the next year. I was hoping for a callback, but it didn’t happen. So I went through the next season and stayed in shape in case the call came.
Around three-quarters of the way through that season I realized I needed to change my career path, so that’s when I took the courses to get my real estate license. The woman who is now my wife was living and working here and in graduate school, so I split my time between Kansas City and Boston for a while. It was one of those things that I figured I’d ultimately land in Boston. I got my license – I knew Coldwell Banker was one of the biggest brokerages, and I figured I’d get the most guidance here. And it turned out that my first sales manager really helped me grow.
Q: Was it hard to start from zero in the competitive Boston sales market?
A: Definitely. It’s been tough. Especially because I’m not from here. I do my own deals and I also have someone I work with who has been extremely helpful, especially with some of the bigger deals in the early days. People don’t think it carries over, but it does. There is really no structure in real estate. Nobody tells you where to be or when, so you really have to manage your time wisely and it’s up to you to make those decisions. Having my parents instill those time management values helped me springboard me into college, then the NFL and into real estate. You have to use your time wisely and make those calls to bring in business and sustain the lifestyle you want. It’s the only way to be successful. You have to go out there and beat the pavement.
The hardest part is making connections. When I first moved here, I couldn’t wrap my head around how much real estate costs. It was culture shock to me, coming from Indiana where I rented a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo with my roommate for $300 per month apiece. Having to pay $1,400 for a one-bedroom when I got here was a shock, but it all worked out in the end.
Q: Has being a Patriots alumni helped you in your real estate career?
A: I tend not to talk about it a lot, but it has helped. I like talking about it and people really get excited about working with former players. I didn’t realize how passionate Patriots fans were until I actually played here. I moved around a lot and never had a favorite team as a kid. So I was impressed with the loyalty people have to the Patriots. It’s part of what made me want to move here. I still go to games every once in a while. It’s always good to go back. We love going back to Notre Dame games as well. We went to the game at Fenway this year and that was a lot of fun.
Richardson’s Five Favorite Athletes:
- Jerry Rice
- Michael Jordan
- Charles Woodson
- Deion Sanders
- Bo Jackson
