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Can't find the car keys... But I bet you can remember THAT agent that made you mad 7 years ago...

By
Real Estate Agent with Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) 01338415

Mad

Isn't that the truth?  We sometimes can't find the obvious stuff, but we have no problem remembering the stuff from years past that might have made you, um... mad?  Like that agent that didn't give me my $200...

It was a tour day.  Wednesday...  I remember tour days in Los Gatos since it seemed that everyone did it. Touring properties, leaving cards, trying to think of comments that we can leave so we sounded like we were giving great points and not necessarily criticizing...  Food, soda, coffee, snacks, you name it.

We would wait for the tour sheet to come out on Tuesday night, and highlight the homes that had the good stuff.  Routinely there would be 50-70 homes on tour, so we would only be able to view 10 or so homes, before 12:30 hit...  And that was when the Fred Flintstone whistle would blow alerting us that tour was over. 

So we would highlight the donuts early in the morning with the coffee...  The bagels maybe later, so we could stuff them in our bags...  And of course the lunches...   So I would sing, "Food, glorious food,
Hot sausage and mustard, while we're in the mood" (from oliver).

BUT, there were things that were offered that were out of the ordinary.  Like Lottery tickets, drawings for wine, discount tickets, movie tickets  and gift certificates. 

Being smart, we would look for the furthest away listing, that was offering giveaways and then 4 of us would drive out there and split the booty if we won.  Driving to the coast was a 30 minute trek, so when we would arrive it would seem that we were the only ones there and would win the prize.  I mean, who would drive out THAT far, right?  Well, the agent was happy too, since he was able to tell his seller that several agents from his office went to the home that day.

So this one day, I scanned the tour sheet and noticed that this agent was offering a $200 gift certificate to Nordstrom's to the lucky winner who visited her house that day on tour.  My friends were all away that day, so I decided to take the trek out there to visit.  It took almost 35 minutes to get to her house, up in the mountains.  When I got there, the agent's assistant said with a smile on her face, "Well, I am closing up...  AND you are the only agent that came to visit today...  So I assume you are going to be the lucky winner of the gift certificate".  It sure made the trip back home good. Thinking of the new ties or shoes or something that I was going to buy...

So the next day I called the agent to check in, and to see how I would get my hands on this golden ticket.  -No response.

I called a few days later.

-No response

I called a few days after that.

-No response.

I sent an email.

-No response.  

I never heard back from this mega huge agent, and she never called me...  Listing after listing after listing, that I would never visit again on tour day...

10 years later, I still remember her, her car, her smile...  And that she didn't award me the gift certificate.

The point of the story...  Think twice before you do something that will leave a negative lasting impression... Like yelling, screaming, swearing, lying, cheating and not giving me a gift certificate that I won, fair and square.  J

By the way, I am sooo over it!  Just a thought for today's post!  :)  And yes, I am smiling!

Posted by

 

Chris Alston

 

Home sales and purchasing specialist

Keller Williams Realty, Cupertino

19400 Stevens Creek Blvd, Suite #200

Cupertino, CA 95014

408-850-6955

408-850-6956 fax

calston@kw.com

www.LivePlaySiliconValley.com

 

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Comments (64)

Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Jane - I know...  But it was just regular tour...  So I just stopped previewing her homes...

Oct 31, 2010 06:25 AM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Good morning Joshua!

Oct 31, 2010 06:27 AM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Todd - Totally!!!!

Oct 31, 2010 06:29 AM
Tricia Pearson
Tricia Pearson - Pearson Real Estate - Texas Hill Country - Boerne, TX
Real Estate Broker, San Antonio/Hill Country Homes for Sale

Really enjoyed the post.  My grandmother always reminded me "that what goes around, comes around"

Oct 31, 2010 10:16 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Chris, you are so right, life is too short to carry around negativity!    Plus, you may have a deal together again some time!   Smile, suck it up, and move on!

Nov 01, 2010 03:01 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Chris, there is this saying that you know when an Irishman has alszheimers:  he forgets his grudges!  Wonderful post.

Nov 01, 2010 07:59 AM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

I was the only agent to recently visit an open house that was probably 40-45 minutes out, and was the only Realtor to tour. Was I awarded the cash prize? No. She extended the tour date and someone else "won"!

Nov 01, 2010 09:01 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Chris,

Thanks to Pat Kennedy for the re-blog.

If this agent is still in business, send her a link to this post! I would love to see if that gets a response!

Margaret

Nov 01, 2010 10:50 AM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Tricia - Sooo true!

Nov 01, 2010 11:57 AM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Joan - I soo agree!

Nov 01, 2010 11:58 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Chris, you made a true story humourous.

Besides that ridiculous...guess she thought more would show up.

Nov 01, 2010 01:52 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Patricia - LOL!!!  That is funny!  :)

Nov 01, 2010 02:03 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Alexandria - Sooo true!  :)

Nov 01, 2010 02:04 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Pat - Grrrrrrrr... grumble....

Nov 01, 2010 02:06 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Pat - Grrrrrrrr... grumble....

Nov 01, 2010 02:06 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Pat - Grrrrrrrr... grumble....

Nov 01, 2010 02:06 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Margaret - NOOOOO!  Nooo way.  :)  But that would be funny, if I chaged "her" with her actual name...  HA!

Nov 01, 2010 02:09 PM
Chris Alston
Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA
Silicon Valley, California

Missy - I know!!!!  I bet that too!

Nov 01, 2010 02:13 PM
Kathryn Maguire
GreatNorfolkHomes.com (757) 560-0881 - Chesapeake, VA
Serving Chesapeake, Norfolk, VA Beach

I loved this story..and I am glad you are over it.  It makes you wonder how much integrity she demonstrates in her negotiations?  No, you don't have to wonder about it at all.

Nov 02, 2010 02:35 AM
Helen Breton
Main Street Properties - Pensacola, FL
Broker Associate

You took a old negative and turned it into a new positive by writing a great blog about it. I think your post clearly shows us that we can use up too much brain power on those incidents that disturb us and not enough brain power on the stuff that really matters like remembering to put the car keys in the same place each day. 

Nov 03, 2010 03:16 AM