I should have bought a lottery ticket this week.
My new listing came on the market last week. At the initial consultation the Seller informed me of the ONE buyer who showed interest while they had their home on Craigslist almost 6 months ago. They asked for an exclusion, which I agreed to (what are the chances that they'll be back, right??). We signed listing papers and got the house on the market.
Eight days later, this house is under contract from those same excluded buyers, who came back out of the blue and wrote up a great offer.
So what's an agent to do?? Do we REALLY practice ethics in our businesses?? Here is a moment when the rubber meets the road. We have two choices here:
1) ENTITLEMENT
"Mr Seller, I understand you VERBALLY excluded this person but we never got that in writing. And since I have already spent money on your home for photography, videos, staging as well as my time to get the marketing up and running, I think you should uphold your end of our listing agreement and pay me for a job well done. Do you realize that I got your house under contract in 8 days in THIS MARKET??
"I mean, I hope you understand that they SAW my marketing which is why they set up a showing within 24 hours of it going live? You can't deny the great job that I've done... you even told me how much you appreciate my hard work and THIS is how you repay me??
"In fact, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. How about you pay me a reduced commission to finish this deal and we are all 'happy' or I will have to take this before the board and we'll see who they think should get to keep that hefty commission that I am owed. What will it be, Mr. Seller?"
(Lots of EGO in that approach. Some would say that is a very good BUSINESS MAN answer, and probably the way "the would" would expect the conversation to go. But what about all of the ETHICS and PRINCIPLES that I tell my clients about? What about these RELATIONSHIPS we grow?
What if we look at the HIGHER version of the self we all are striving for? The one God has made us in the image of... What if we tried to respond from THAT PLACE.......)
2) FAITH
"Mr. Seller, congratulations on getting a buyer for your home! I respect the understanding we had that this buyer is protected and I would love to see you through to the end of this transaction, at NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. Yes, that's right, but I'm not working for FREE. Let me explain what I mean...
"Here it is, Mr. Seller: I value our relationship and I pride myself on SUPERIOR customer service, something that is spoken a lot of these days but now I have the rare opportunity to show you what that really means to me. I want nothing more than to protect your interests through this transaction and see that you reach you GOAL that we discussed at our first meeting.
"It's true, I have dollars invested in this listing but I'm not concerned with that. Instead, the most valuable thing you can give me costs you absolutely nothing. I want you to be so overwhelmingly blown-away THRILLED with this transaction that you will PREACH about it to all of your friends. When someone you love mentions ANYTHING about real estate, I want my name to be the first you think of, because you know they will be in the best hands possible.
"I want you to know, without a doubt, that I will ALWAYS have the best interests of my clients as my #1 goal, as you have seen first hand.
"Do you think that is a fair request?"
Let me tell you the respose of the Seller:
"Um, wow Jay. That sounds.... well, incredible. We appreciate that so much!"
Some would say that I'm working for free here, but I have been raised and coached by some amazing people in my life including my wife, my parents, Nana, Stephen, Alan, and many others, and this FAITH route is absolutely the right thing for me, my business, and most importantly: the clients.
When I look back at a transaction and analyze it for regrets, I know that going with an EGO DRIVEN, "entitlement" route would feel like a win, but at the expense of a relationship. Also I would feel conflicted and disappointed that I did NOT live up to my personal mission.
We are in the business of relationships. Success is a by-product of how well we honor those people we engage with.
At the end of the day, God is my provider, my source and the supplier of all that I enjoy in my life.
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10
If I can't trust him with the small things, then why would He ever consider providing me with any BIG things??
I encourage you today to go look for the opportunities in life to SHOW what you are made of to others, so that when you help the ones around you, the important things will be more clear.
P.S.
How did this story end? I received a call from this Seller explaining that her son will be calling me to list their home and find a bigger one. Seller said that she HIGHLY encouraged him that he should work with me.
...AND the Seller said they are placing a home-made promotional POSTER about their experience in the lobby of the dance studio they own, so their families can read about their transaction. Seller said "it will hang there forever."
...AND the Seller said that they hope to be able to pay me money for my time and hard work from the proceeds of sale. Unsolicited money, but it's amazing that when the grip is loosened it allows blessings to flow your way.
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