Drives my kids crazy . . .
This circular thinking that sometimes rolls off my tongue spontaneously usually stops them in their tracks as they think it through . . . but they're onto me now and don't miss a beat.
I think that's part of my job as "Father".
When we are traveling, and they ask the question:
"ARE WE THERE YET?"
In any pursuit, where exactly IS "There"?
For our children on a long car ride, "There" is wherever it is that they get to get out of a moving car.
For the home Buyer and Seller, "There" is successful completion of the transaction - and the move.
The journey is the uncomfortable part for most people.
Conditions of comfort are compromised being crammed into a tight space without the freedom to move about and stretch and grab a bite to eat or run out to play . . . and uncertainty abounds . . .
Will the car make the journey without breaking down?
Will we hit harsh weather that delays our trip?
Will the home inspection go well?
How 'bout the appraisal?
So why do we do it?
Because we have expectations of something at the destination . . . We found a motivating factor that caused us to uproot ourselves and hit the road.
The Beech!
A new Home!
After a long journey, the traveler is often just as interested in ceasing the motion and generally relishes the possibility of rest and relaxation.
How do we soften the blow?
AH!
In the car and in most airplanes . . . DVDs/MOVIES . . .and coolers or mini-refrigerators and refreshment carts filled with tasty drinks and treats. We parents put LOTS of thought into proper preparation of the kids' traveling space because we know that trip will be LOOOOONG and exasperating if the children are not content.
and I remember the MANY MANY MANY 24 hour drives to Cape Cod, MA EVERY summer with all 6 members of our family crammed into a station wagon with a cartop carrier . . . The destination was clear . . . Precious "Hang time" with our cousins and Aunt and Uncle on the beech . . .
and guess what?
We didn't have movies in the car - We sang and tallied license plates from different states and played "20 Questions" and acted silly and got truckers to honk their loud horns and made faces at the people in the cars next to us . . .
I remember that my Mother would always have interesting things on-hand for us to do . . . When the complaining commenced, something new would appear - Paper and crayons for drawing . . . a peanut butter and jelly sandwich . . . She had obviously prepared herself well for the trip and had everything at her fingertips to keep us satiated for the duration of the ride.
As professionals, I believe that we carry a burden of responsibility to do this for our clients . . .
not making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (unless they have children along for the ride) . . .
but being COMPLETELY prepared for the journey AND doing everything we can do to prepare our clients with proper expectations.
The destination needs to be CLEAR. Let's not pile into the car unless we know where "there" IS ...
Therefore the need for careful needs analysis during the initial listening consultation.
Our goal (and job) is to be very well prepared for any emergent issues along the way. We "have a guy who can fix that" and have our fingers on the pulse of the whole experience for our clients.
If you aren't fully prepared and your client is not emotionally driven (motivated), you might consider delaying your departure until preparations are complete.
Otherwise, what will you do when the question surfaces:
"WHY AREN'T WE THERE YET?"
Best,
b
twitter @barryowen
Barry Owen
Principal Real Estate Broker
Keller Williams Realty
30 Burton Hills Blvd
Nashville, TN - Green Hills
615-568-2123
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