This is the Real, don’t be scared. This is the unglamorous side of real estate so I thought you deserved a real photo. T-shirt, yoga pants, and Carrie Lees from the carton for dinner and I’m not going to lie, I may not even take off my makeup before I go to bed. There are good days and great days, but there are days that hit me right in the feels. That’s today.
The very best thing about this crazy seller’s market?
By far, it’s the people. My seller clients are some of the best people on the planet, renting hotels, scheduling trips, staying with family, whatever it takes to endure the first 48 hours of listing their home. This week my wonderful clients accommodated 41 showings in the first couple of days. Unreal. The second group of people I love is a group of colleagues I keep on a spreadsheet labeled “Tribe” because they are the ones I love working with.
The very worst thing about this market?
Delivering disappointing news to all the buyers whose offer didn’t win. It’s the worst. That win/lose, happy/sad juxtaposition wears on me, evidence this candid after that kind of day photo. Some listing agents deliver the news via a one-line text with a “better luck next time” indifference. There’s no helpful information about what the buyer could have done to improve their offer or any feedback whatsoever. The disappointing news leaves everyone hanging. Agents can do better here.
We Agents can include a line or two of why the buyer lost without giving away confidential specifics. A simple “The seller received a higher offer,” or “it was cash,” or “they offered free occupancy after closing.” Something. It’s respectful of the agent who took their time to write the offer, and it helps the buyers understand and move on.
As a listing agent, orchestrating 41 showings in two days on my client’s home, fielding all the due diligence questions, and receiving multiple offers from which to choose is fun. I am very competitive, so this part fuels me. It’s all fun and celebration–for one of those calls. But the rest of the calls, I dread. There are real people on the other side of that offer. It’s humbling to be in this position. This challenging market takes a toll on everyone, even the winners.
To all the market-weary Buyers out there, especially ours; and to my Tribe, the tireless, best-of-the-best Agents representing them,
I see you.
All the love. Hang in there.