OK, I have to admit that I married a nature weenie. My wife was the farmer's daughter, but you would never know it. She's not a big fan of the outdoors, critters, bugs, sweating, livestock, gardening and now snakes in the pool. My
son dropped by today to take a swim and was greeted by a snake hanging on to the skimmer opening. Surprise!
I would agree that finding a snake in the pool with you would be a bit unnerving. I had a water moccasin charge me while I was standing in a river fishing. It did make me a bit uncomfortable, but I kept fishing.
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where there are snakes in the pool. It's a great listing with a great family and all of a sudden there are snakes in the pool. The house doesn't sell quickly enough, and you're to blame. The offers that come in are low-ball offers, and you're to blame. There aren't enough showings, and you're to blame. You find out that your clients are weeks from foreclosure, and you're to blame.
No matter how the snakes get in the pool of your life you need to get them out. What can you do? You can do what my wife did. Scream! When that doesn't produce the desired results you can do what she did next. Find help. You may have to call someone who can help, but find help. It might be a Google search, book research, a webinar, advice from a broker or friend, etc.
Difficult clients, or difficult circumstances come into all of our lives. How we deal with them will determine how long they last and how much they impact our lives. In the above illustration, information is power. That goes both ways. You need for the clients to be straight with you about the reasons they are trying to sell, and you need to be honest with them about what it will take to sell their house. It's wise to be tactful, but it's necessary to be honest.
It might mean cleaning things up. It might mean doing a little landscaping. It might mean reducing expectations on price. It might mean making the house easier to show. The sellers need to be partners in the deal from the time the listing is signed all the way through the closing. Snakes in the pool are pretty rare around our house, but when the cry for help goes out it doesn't take long to get rid of them.
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