Many years ago, when I first started selling houses, I was working with a lady who told me she was deathly afraid of cats.  Since one of the houses we were going to see was my own listing, I knew the owner had cats. So I told my buyer that I would go inside first and check to see if they were inside or not. (They had a kitty door.)

So I went in and looked around and didn't see either of the cats, anywhere. I even looked under the beds, in the closets and on top of the refrigerator. I covered the entire house... No cats. 

I then opened the front door and told the buyer that the cats must be outside because I didn't see either one of them anywhere in the house, and the buyer apprehensively came inside. She started going from room to room and was slowly relaxing.

She then entered the master bedroom ahead of me and 2 seconds later came running past me and ran straight out the front door and refused to come back in. I was standing there looking perplexed until I spotted, calm as can be, one of the cats, sitting on the master bathroom counter, contentedly licking his paw. *sigh*

Now if any of you have ever owned cats, you know how well they can hide! And they're not like dogs. They do not answer when you call them! Mine disappear on me all the time and they never even leave the house. But to be honest, at that time, I was new to the business and I really didn't take my buyers' fears as seriously as I should have. And in the many years since then, I've never made that mistake again. 

But looking back, I know it wasn't just a lack of experience. I had not then, nor have I since then, ever seen that type of phobia. 

I'm sure that some people, no matter how old or young, and no matter how experienced or inexperienced, will continually look down upon anyone who they deem to be beneath them, for whatever reasons they can conjure. But life is a growth process. And truly wise people of all ages will know and understand that. And those who are willing to admit they've been wrong, and continually try to learn from their mistakes, and seek the advice of others who show maturity and wisdom in their lives, will succeed much more quickly.  Because what really holds us back is usually not our age or lack of experience, but our pride and egos.

I'm not sure how to wrap up this post. How it has ended is not what I had planned. Maybe someone needed to read this. Hopefully it will help or encourage you. (And sometimes I'm preaching to myself. We all need reminders.)

To be the best real estate agent you can be, listen to what your clients are saying. Listen to what your peers are saying. Show compassion. Be willing to help. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

How would you want to be treated?

The idea for the beginning of this post came from Pam Graham's post titled "Which Family Member Do You Need To Kick Out If You're Trying To Sell Your Home". 

If you're planning to sell real estate or buy real estate in the Daytona Beach area, make a Smart Choice and contact Lisa Hill for all your real estate needs. 

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