The longer I am in real estate, the more I begin to think that personality types and/or regions of the country (or world) from where a person was raised and how they were raised are three of the biggest factors in how a client will behave. But I'm not sure we pay much attention to those things. It is usually only after a buyer or a seller has gone off and done something stupid, heartbreaking or flat out mean that we step back and go, "Holy cow! Where did THAT come from???"
Take, for example, the buyer who went to the seller's house a couple of days prior to closing. The buyer, who was my client, didn't call me to set this up. Nope, she just went over there and knocked on the door. The seller had parents there moving her stuff and they let the buyer in because she wanted to get the refrigerator measurements and check out the washer and dryer connections. These things had already been given to her. The seller came home and walked through her front door to find the unescorted buyer standing in her house. Yeah, that was a fun one to deal with. Luckily, the seller was a licensed agent who had a level head.
I had another buyer a few years ago who got out of sorts over something that wasn't done right in the house he was having built. What did he do? Instead of keeping a cool head and working through proper channels, he went and showed up on the doorstep of the owner of the Real Estate company. Of course, the owner of the Real Estate company had no clue what was going on. And the buyer ended up looking rather foolish in the end. Duh!
Today, I have buyers (not my clients) who are threatening to sue over $200.00 curtain rods that got taken accidentally. So let's think about this. You're going to go spend way more than $200 to talk to your lawyer (which they have done) in order to get your curtain rods because they are that important. I can think of a whole lot easier way to get that little problem resolved!
I supposed people are always going to behave badly and not just in the world of Real Estate. And, at times, I will admit that I've not kept a cool head in certain situations. But as I get older, I am beginning to value being at peace with others way more than being at odds with others. And I find that keeping a cool head and looking for a workable solution for all parties involved usually tends to solve most problems.
I read somewhere that, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." In Real Estate and especially in a tough market and tough economy, I think that's pretty good advice.
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