How to Not Get a Listing - Or do I want to Know

This story takes the cake and I am still trying to get my mouth closed after hearing it. 

About 6 months ago I hired a woman, I will refer to as Mary, for a marketing project I was working on.  It was simple in nature and did not require any more skills than the use of a camera.  This was nothing fancy so there was not a need to hire a professional, I needed pictures in the raw.

After 3 hours my temp hire Mary came back with only 8 photos which left me scratching me head.  I gave directions and specific instructions and in 3 hours time I expected about 30 - 40 pictures to work with. Frustrated, I brought the woman into my office thanked her, paid her for her time and told her I was moving in a different direction.

Fast forward to July 2012, I recieve a call from no other than Mary.  She called to let me know her neighbor needed help with short selling his home, gave me his contact information and asked for me to call him.  I was floored that she 1, remembered me and 2 that she knew that I specialized in short sales. 

As with most of my clients, I establish a fairly good rapport and for whatever reason end up with TMI!  Wow do I get earfuls of what I do not want to know ever!  But I always smile or show compassion, lend my ear and let it be. Not this time boys and girls this story is just too darn funny.

I meet with the referral, list the home, walk him through the short sale process, put the home under contract in the first few days and stay in constant communication to ease the worry, frustration and all other emotions the seller goes through during this time.

I scheduled a time to stop over to pick up the remaining documents needed for the short sale and as I am sitting at the kitchen table I asked the seller if he had interviewed any other agents and why he chose to work with me other than being a referral. I was expecting a pretty typical response but I had the quite a mouth dropping oh wow moment.

See the seller is going through a divorce and in doing so was putting his life back together, finding networking groups to join and creating a social life.  He joined one particular professional networking group that meets at various times and has a website where you can post a profile.  In doing so he was contacted by another member who asked him if he wanted to go out sometime and meet at a social. Not thinking twice he agreed to meet the woman and was happy to forget what he was going through for a while and just get out of the home. She was nice enough, he thought, easy to talk to. The discussion veered towards short sales and divorce (both were going through divorce at the time).

Well the woman turns out to be his so called neighbor Mary, the same Mary that worked 1 day for me.  Mary does not live in his neighborhood, she does not know him at all as she had told me.  In fact, Mary, after only meeting the seller 1 time calls him at 9pm one evening and tells him she is only 2 minutes away from his home and would like to come over.  She is very adamant and says it is extremely important.  The seller declines and Mary states "well I am just right outside so let me in, I will not stay long".  What did not dawn on the seller at that moment is that he never gave her his address....

At this point I am slightly alarmed and waiting for something positive to come from it.  Upon letting her in, she becomes very aggressive with him in a manner most women would dial 911.  He decides to leave the room to process the strange behavior and find a way to get her out while letting Mary preserve her dignity.  He walks back into the room to a naked Mary and with all the kindness he could muster he told her she must leave NOW.

Let's talk about TMI and awkward.  I had no idea what to say, but one dreadful question came to mind...remember, she gave me his contact information and ask I call him.  So Mr. Seller, did this happen before or after I contacted you?  He said After and I then asked, why in the world would you take my call or even want to work with me.  Here is my only saving grace..... "Well I was not going to contact you back.  I figured any person that was friends with Mary may be unstable like Mary.  However, I decided I should look you up and find out more about you.  I saw your short sale blog, Gainesville Short Sale Agents, and read your articles and watched your videos and figured there was no way you were crazy like Mary and you sounded as if you knew what you were doing and I needed help."

I then shared with Mr. Seller how I came to briefly know Mary and had zero ongoing communication with her whatsoever and would rather not speak with her again.

Well let me just say guys, this was the weirdest way to get a referral.  Without my Blog, I may have been an indirect bad taste in Mr. Seller's mouth.

I appreciate the refferral but I would rather Mary not refer me to anyone.  I just hope she does not scare anymore potential clients I or others may have...It is a small world you know.