How do you get there?

1. A correctly priced listing.
2. Which is also correctly staged and prepared for showings.
3. And the sellers make the home available for all showings.
4. So we get an offer.
5. It's a reasonable start and is a complete offer (no blanks, no missing addenda, no missing disclosures, includes lender information and a copy of the earnest money check).
6. My sellers are accessible, so I can present the offer and we discuss our counteroffer.
7. The buyer's agent is also accessible, so I can present the counteroffer.
8. The buyer accepts the counteroffer.
9. The sellers sign the documents promptly.  The buyer signs the documents promptly.
10. The check is deposited promptly (and clears the bank).
11. The very sharp buyer agent schedules inspections and closing immediately so that all parties are aware and can plan ahead.
12. The inspection comes back with requests by the buyer.
13. The seller makes an offer for repairs after obtaining quotes to make sure we're fair (and at the beginning of the listing period, we had set an imaginary budget for repairs knowing that this house is old).
14. The buyer accepts the repair offer.
15. Buyer's agent communicates often and promptly with my team's closing coordinator.
16. She doesn't know a real estate attorney in our county, so we make several recommendations (we thank her for acknowledging her lack of knowledge and ASKING!).
17. Sellers pack up and clean the house from top to bottom, leaving it in excellent condition.
18. We all go to closing.
19. Sellers get a check for their proceeds the next day.
20. Buyer celebrates her new home!

Did you catch a common thread in there?  COMMUNICATION.  Sure, there was a negotiation on price.  Sure, there were necessary repairs that cost the seller money.  But the buyer got the house she wanted.  And the sellers sold the house for a fair price.

That's our job, folks.  Putting buyers and sellers together so they can accomplish their goals in real estate.  The happy ending could happen a lot more often with better communication and accessibility, wouldn't you agree?

Or maybe I just live in my happy little real estate world here in Charlotte NC (of course, this house was in Concord NC and I live in Harrisburg NC but who's splitting hairs?)!