Candor, the tell it like it is, here is what is up, going on may or may not show up in your real estate transaction.
Some folks believe people avoid candor in order to curry favor with others in a real estate sale. But the opposite can happen. By not stepping up to the plate and with Ricky Bobby "all due respect" candor, the truth of the situation does not get out there in to the sunlight. For air to hit it. Candor can unnerve people.
From the time we are knee high to a grasshopper, we are taught to soften the blow, lighten the bad news and like politicians, add some spin.
Sugar, candy coat it to make it go down easier. And tip toe around the elephant in the room logic applied.
Lack of candor in a real estate transaction whether you represent the buyer or seller or both, is deadly.
It wastes time when speed is of the essence as the transaction inches forward.
Or dies on the vine.
Because certain key points, realities were not discussed, brought up.
Candor can make people uncomfortable but holds them accountable. It means getting your hands dirty and bringing up something on your mind knowing it could be simpler selfishly if you did not.
Playing it safe to avoid confusion, pain and resentment means leaving candor out of the real estate transaction.
Because if you bring up some key points glossed over or just not being thrashed out, wrinkles removed, it means awkward moments and time consuming diplomacy as the topic subjects, situations detonate.When you speak your mind in a real estate transaction, or as a leader of a group, you do stand a chance of alienating someone. But if you develop "bump on the log" limp along status, playing it safe and protecting yourself, the rest of the players in the real estate deal suffer. The seller who is totally unrealistic on the value he expects continues to think he is in the right if you do not point out "with all due respect" you are attempting to receive three times the actual value of your property listing Mr Seller.
His eyes may bug out, his lip curl and his attitude to become a tad snarky.
But if the real estate listing price he dictates is set in granite, this real estate movie does not have a happy ending. Everyone's time, financial, emotional resources are wasted. Like throwing horseshoes expecting a ringer when someone removed the stakes at both ends. Lesson in futility. No pair of tickets for the buyer and seller to get to the big long simulated wood real estate closing conference room table.Without candor in a real estate transaction, obstacles (including the two legged kind) stall a property sale process. Lack of candor or someone recognizing the wrong path we are on, the mix up on directional turns we did back on those last two cloverleaf transaction intersections means we're hopelessly lost. And just don't know it. Yet.
In fact many meetings, calls, emails without candor can give every one a sense all is well. When it is not. Anything but.
And then as the deal dies a certain death, finger pointing starts. On who is to blame. Again playing it safe, self protection mode kicks in and isolating yourself from the anything to do with the failure of a deal. Or even then stepping up to the mic and saying I could have told you this was coming, this would happen. Why didn't you?Fear of alienating someone, making a person or two not like you for being the bearer of bad news. It is a little like touching a hot stove. Catching a hot potato. Or pointing out folks, I think we need to back up, regroup, cut our losses. Pull this real estate wagon train 180 degrees around to high tail it out of this dead end box canyon. Candor, speaking up, do you avoid it because of the reaction it gets from others in the real 
estate deal that might take it as a criticism, personally? It can be awkward, unpleasant at times when you start using candor in your real estate day to day. But the guts to display it, use it in the long run sets you apart from the rest of the real estate herd wearing the "R" but lost in a sea of sameness.
Say, have you ever attended the Aunt Bea real estate public relations seminar series? It made the Active Rain Amber Diamond blogging group roster of gold stars posts that should have but were missed, didn't.
Maine, a tad out spoken, but the folks are hardworking, God fearing, family based and you always, always know where you stand.
Life is good!
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