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Nothing But A Big Red Truck

By
Real Estate Agent with Platinum Realty SP00229578 2007027091

One day my Uncle Edwin was driving with my Aunt Iris in the front passenger seat. At an intersection, he asked her how the traffic was from her direction. She replied "It's all clear this way, there's nothing coming this way...

....except a big red truck!" colorful umbrellas Union Hill Kansas City

Uncle Edwin pulled out into the intersection before Aunt Iris completed her sentence.

No one was injured so it is just a funny family story. But it makes me think about how important it is to listen to other people.

In our real estate business, we talk to a lot of people and, sometimes, we are so focused on what they say to begin with that we forget to listen to the rest of their story.

Aunt Iris really should have put the big red truck at the beginning of her sentence; but she didn't. Sometimes clients do the same thing. It doesn't really matter why they do that but they do. We need to be sure to ask the right questions and then listen to the whole answer before offering our professional opinion and advice. We need to know about the 'big red trucks' that may be looming just out of sight.

________original story by Maria in Kansas City ________

 

Posted by

Maria Morton,Realtor© Call 816.560.375Eight Mobile.     Google Maria 

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Maria Morton of Chartwell Kansas City Realty is a licensed Real Estate Agent in KS & MO.  816-877-8200 Office 

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Comments (15)

Emily Medvec
eXp Realty LLC - Santa Fe, NM
Broker | Realtor | Serving Santa Fe & Northern NM

Oh, what a wonderful story and great analogy. Your story about Aunt Iris and the big red truck is now memorable and a reminder to get the "rest of the story" from our clients. Thank you!

Apr 12, 2011 03:38 PM
Rose King
David Tracy Real Estate - Friendswood, TX
Friendswood / Pearland / Houston Bay Area

Maria, this is a great reminder to take time to listen! Thanks for sharing the story.

Apr 12, 2011 03:45 PM
Tommy Taylor
Taylor Properties & TexasForSale.net - Kerrville, TX
CNE- Texas Hill Country Realtor

Maria- I bet a lot of us will now have an inside joke pertaining to a big read truck. Thanks for sharing and reminding us how important it is to listen fully and completely before acting.

Apr 12, 2011 03:48 PM
Melinda (Mel) Peterson
Grants Pass, OR - Bend, OR
The Savvy Broker - ABR, CRS

So true Maria... we ought to be slow to speak and quick to listen!

Apr 12, 2011 03:49 PM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

That is a great story and a wonderful illustration of your point. One of my pet peeves is people who cut me off, thinking they know what I'm going to say.  So I try to be sensitive to that when others are speaking.  I had an uncle who was a farmer and used to say things like, "Throw the cow over the fence some hay." That can make your mind change directions quickly midsentence!

Apr 12, 2011 03:58 PM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Maria,

Aunt Iris has a way with words.  Sort of...  =)

It would be wise to hear her out before taking action.

Apr 12, 2011 03:59 PM
Maria Morton
Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Susan, you crack me up! "Throw the cow over the fence" - I'd be laughing so hard that I would not hear the part about the hay!

She did that, Mike.

Inside jokes are fun, aren't they?

Apr 12, 2011 05:10 PM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Sorry, but that is quite funny.  Certainly since no one was injured.

Apr 12, 2011 05:12 PM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Great story.  Maybe your Uncle Edwin learned to listen.  Perhaps your Aunt Iris learned to use a more direct sentence structure, since the big red truck would have been coming right at her.  Glad no one was hurt. 

Thanks for the analogy.  I believe I am a good listener with most people in part because of my nature but also I took a "listening lab" class a couple of times.  The people I have the most trouble listening to are those closest to me, not strangers...  I get impatient with them.

Apr 12, 2011 11:40 PM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

"Sometimes clients do the same thing. It doesn't really matter why they do that but they do." How true is that??????  How about the client you meet in person after having developed the email/phone relationship. You may haven chosen homes to look at based on the listings they've been sending you...cute Cape Cods, log homes with lofts, cedar sided with balconies...the recurring theme being outstanding staircases. After 2 or 3 homes, they say to you "Oh, I guess I should have told you about my Big Freaking Red Truck ". You groan inwardly and say "What would that be?" "Asthma and arthritis, stairs are really difficult.  I meant to tell you I like those styles but with Single Floor Living". Grin and bear it, I guess! Now, I'll try to remember to ask if there are any Big Red Trucks (caveats) I should know about.

Good post, thanks so much.

Apr 12, 2011 11:57 PM
Elizabeth Byrne
Keller Williams Realty - Arlington, VA
Arlington Virginia Real Estate

Maria, thank you for this reminder. Listening is the key to providing great service in any field. If we don't listen carefully we won't know what our clients need.

Apr 13, 2011 12:15 AM
Andre R. Aragon
Greater Tampa Real Estate Photographer - Tampa, FL
Real Estate Photographer

Hi Maria - It is so true - that's why we have 2 ears and one mouth afterall.

Apr 13, 2011 06:51 AM
Diane M. Phillips Realtor 443-286-4365
Frankly Real Estate Inc. - Manchester, MD
Specializing in Carroll Co., MD

Maria~ love that! Great way to remember to listen! Thank goodness no one was hurt.

Apr 13, 2011 07:33 AM
Sussie Sutton
David Tracy Real Estate - Houston, TX
David Tracy Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers

It is a great thing to wait and not reply until our minds have caught up with the received information. Same things goes with instructions.

Sep 04, 2013 01:32 PM
Maria Morton
Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Hi Sussie! I sometimes miss the way some cultures pause quite a long time before responding to a question or comment. In the fast paced cities most of us live, the pause is missing. If we tried to add that pause into a conversation around here, people would be on to 3 other topics before the pause was done!

Sep 04, 2013 03:15 PM