image courtesy of g.originals
The angry cat in a box.
Anyone who's been reading me for sometime, might recall the story of the cat under my deck that I wrote back on December 21, 2008. The story was a bit of a parable about the cat we find in our backyard and how we were building trust and a relationship. I never actually compared the cat to real estate in any way (except for a note at the bottom saying I think most people would get exactly what I was getting at). The cat in the photo above wasn't the cat, but it did a pretty good job of representing the little hissing monster that I wanted to be friends with, but couldn't seem to make a connection with.
The story behind the cat.
That little cat, named Spaghetti Cat by my wife and I, hated me. He hissed, growled and swatted at me every chance he had. I kept feeding him though, kept trying, and kept making it know to him that I wanted to be friends. The obvious parable that I mentioned was that he represented a client - the kind of client that you couldn't seem to nail down, you weren't sure of the future with, but you had that feeling that something would come out of it some day.
Sticking by a cat or a client is a great idea. Learning what makes them tick, what they like/don't like, and learning to understand them is key to building a relationship. A relationship is key to the goal at hand. In the case of the cat, it's having a friendly cat to hang out with. In the case of the client, it's about finding them a home and delivering on the promise to help them realize their dreams.
Since I wrote the original post, that cat has done everything it could to make me know that it wasn't ready to be "friends" anytime soon. I have the scratches to prove it. Both my wife and I have bled for this cat. We tried our best and even got discouraged at times. We didn't, however, give up.
Don't let the photo fool you.
This is Spaghetti Cat. Photographed over the Labor Day weekend, it may look like he's mad, but he's not. Instead he was crying for more attention after I had spent 15 minutes rubbing his head and scratching his back. He's become quite the little lovely cat. He enjoys rubbing your legs when you stand beside him and often won't eat unless you sit nearby or scratch his back. He's still no indoor cat, but he is friendly once again. He still turns occasionally and threatens with a look (and occasionally a raised paw), but he is slowly coming around all the way to domesticated bliss.
This blog is about real estate, isn't it?
Well yes, it is. And that's where the parable comes in. This weekend. I submitted an offer for some clients. It was accepted. I have been working with these clients since November 2008. Almost a year. We've had our ups and downs and there have been times where I thought they were going to walk away or perhaps that I might as well. But somewhere, I knew that they were going to buy eventually and I just needed to help guide them along the path and work hard to find that perfect home and get them the best terms on their offer. It takes investment of time in some clients. The rewards can be be great though, just like the morning meows that I face everyday now.
Not every client buys in a day or two. Some take a long time and those are the ones we must stick by and work towards the goals with. These clients made it much easier than usual, as they were always very upfront with their goal and where we stood in getting there. It wasn't easy, but a little perseverance got me everywhere.
Next time you have a buyer or seller who's a little skittish or "hides under the deck" when you call, stop and think about my little cat for a moment. Perhaps they just need some time. Perhaps they need to build trust in you. Perhaps they could be the best client you've ever had. Sometimes you have to put the work in to get the rewards.
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