-Inman

I was recently invited by my customers/buyers who purchased a Beechhurst home from me in late 2018. What a wonderful evening we had together. This is why I love my job; they were wonderful people then and now. They were transparent, sincere, respected my advice, and innately understood that I wanted to help them AND get the best result for their adversary, the seller.

For a professional realtor, these two objectives are not mutually exclusive. You can want to help good people who work hard to find a place to house their memories while still ensuring that your seller/client gets top dollar.

The house they bought was on a large lot. They paid over $100,000 more than neighbors had offered prior to the seller selecting me to sell their property. Some might say they spent a lot. They will tell you it was worth every penny! They built a home that is so beautiful and filled with love that I nearly lost my breath when I stepped into it. Even more impactful was how excited they were to show me their vision actualized. Today, the property they paid so much for in 2018 would sell for 10-15% more, and that’s for the land alone! And the home they built on the land is worth… well, let’s just use the MasterCard adage-it’s priceless.

I love money as much as the next guy, but it’s nights like this that I’m after these days. Some people are just hard to describe, and these folks are that kind of special. For example, when they designed their upstairs space, they made the master bedroom more modest to enlarge their children’s rooms. When I asked them why, they said, “Our kids have hung in with so many efforts to buy a house, with so many disappointments, until we met you. We wanted them to fully enjoy their own space!” No kid’s room TV’s though! They want their kids to be with them downstairs, a commitment to values that we all could subscribe to. Smart move, great parents, lovely family; people so deserving of a little realtor TLC.

Yes – it is important to have the skill set needed to make these interactions a reality.

• You have to be a fierce negotiator.
• Reputation matters.
• To whom you entrust your property impacts the sales result.

But more importantly, are the humanistic details that make matches like these possible. 

• You need to listen to your customers AND clients.
• You need to understand BOTH of their goals.
• And you need to be a friend, as well as an advisor. 

Real estate is about the relationships we create and maintain, not just the number of transactions we complete. 

So, if you’re an agent reading this, treat your people well. Not only will it make your feel good and bolster a reputation that will follow you your entire career. It will make you a better realtor and do so much to improve our industry reputation.

If you are a client or customer that I have served or will serve someday,

I hope to remain in the 17% (based on the Inman statistic). Believe me; I will do all I can to earn that honor.

For me, this is worth so much more than a paycheck.