© Steve Musgrave
Warming Up to Real Estate
The day I got my real estate license—Oct. 23, 2023—I received a phone call from my daughter’s neighbors, who had just been approved for a $600,000 mortgage. I represented the couple, and we found a house for which they went under contract for a 30-day closing. However, the buyers pulled out of the deal because of a poor inspection report.
We found a new place with a better inspection outcome, and the buyers went under a new contract. But the night before closing, they called me in a panic, saying they had just read in the listing that the house’s wood-burning stove was not included with the home purchase. Apparently, they hadn’t seen that before and were upset that neither the listing agent nor I had mentioned it to them verbally. So, I called the listing agent at midnight and asked her if the sellers would let me purchase the wood-burning stove. The price tag was $2,600 for the stove, which had been installed two years earlier. Luckily, the sellers agreed, and I paid for the stove so it would remain at the property. My clients were overjoyed to receive this gift.
And I learned a lesson.
Don’t automatically expect your clients to read the fine print in a listing. Make sure they know all the details of the transaction before making an offer.
—Holly Morrison Orton, RE/MAX Properties, Cedar City, Utah
An Easy Sale
A while back, I promoted a condo development in my brokerage newsletter, which went to customers in my company’s database. We received a few doz-en requests for the data sheet on the development, but nothing seemed to come of it. About six months later, I got a call from my onsite salesperson. He asked, “Where do I mail you a check?” I wondered what he was talking about, and he informed me that one of my buyers walked into our sales office and said, “I’m here to buy a unit. My broker’s name is Joel Greene.” I wish all deals were this easy!
—Joel Greene, GRI, Global Real Estate Co. LLC, Miami
Hello, My Name Is...
When I started my real estate career, I wore a name badge. Once, when I was in a used bicycle store, a man came around the corner, looked at my badge and said, “Oh, I need you to sell my mother-in-law’s house!” I called my broker and went to meet with the seller.
I did end up selling the property, and I think about how I never would’ve gotten that listing from a perfect stranger if I hadn’t been wearing that badge. I’ve counted at least a dozen listings or sales I’ve gotten through referrals from that one client. You never know who will help your business soar.
—Viki Watson, SRS, NextHome Gulf Coast, Largo, Fla.