It's sometimes said that one of the main functions we serve as real estate agents is being "hand-holders". Especially in situations where clients need our support rather than our expertise. Like at the closing table when the deal is pretty much done and the attorney is going over all the paperwork and telling them where to sign, etc. You're there to hold their hand and tell them that it's ok, all closings have this much paperwork and sometimes even more!
I've been in the business for eight years and while I have done a lot of figurative "hand-holding", I'm pretty sure that I've never had to actually hold someone's hand to get them to calm down or make them feel better.
That changed a couple of weeks ago when I took on a special assignment to help someone find an apartment on very short notice. This was a referral from an attorney friend of mine who needed me to help someone in Wakefield, MA whose home was closing in a few days and needed to find an apartment quickly. She had been in her home her entire life (over four decades) and the house had been sold because of a court decision and she had to go.
We had a budget of about $1,200 per month for a one or two bedroom place. It wasn't going to be easy since she had lousy credit and was not currently working. The toughest part was that she had to take her dog, which was a pit-bull terrier mix. I had to really work some magic! The only good part was that the family trust was paying her rent and that helped the landlords we spoke to be comfortable about the situation.
I spoke to her for the first time on a Thursday and by the end of the day was lucky enough to be able to schedule appointments for two apartments that would take her on short notice (only a few days) and also take her dog. This was out of only 4 listings on MLS and about 30 ads on Craigslist.
She liked the first place and liked the second place even better. In speaking to the landlord and telling him about the situation we were in, he was kind enough to take her. It was a miracle that we were able to secure her a place in only one afternoon!
On the ride back to her place (I had to drive her because she doesn't have a car), she starting to have a mild panic attack. She had never had to move before and the whole process was very unsettling. As she rocked back and forth in her seat and vigorously rubbed her hands together, I felt at a loss to help her. Since she was seemingly very focused on her hands, I just asked if she wanted me to hold her hand. "Would you?", she asked hopefully. I was happy to! Especially since I saw how much it calmed her down in this time of crisis. She was very thankful and afterward was telling me how nice I was to hold her hand when she really needed it. It was the least I could do!
Sometimes in this business, we end up being a lot more than the person to get someone through the front door or the one to negotiate the offer. We end up being the hand-holder and sometimes the actual and not just the figurative hand-holder.
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