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The Double Whammy of Disappointing News

By
Real Estate Agent with Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker DRE #00697006

I woke up to two horrible things this morning. The first is horrid news from clients I've been working with on fixing up their home. I helped them to find contractors, gave them a list of improvements to make to increase their resale value, and estimated a future price point for market, including explaining how they could get their insurance company to cover much of the damage caused by so-called tenants and suggesting they filed a police report. Stuff that never occured to them.

This morning they sent a text, not even a phone call, to say, hey, guess what? Some stranger came by when they were working, made them an offer, and they accepted it. You know who I'm kicking right now? I'm kicking myself for not signing a listing agreement with them. They were past clients. I never imagined they would do something like this.

All I could say was they will probably make more money on the open market, which is 100% true, and to let me know what happens. It's very possible their deal will blow up. There will be no expert listing agent to help them get the appraisal they will need nor to negotiate on their behalf.

There is little loyalty in the world and an abundance of stupidity.

It's like the buyer who calls to say: hey, I just drove by a new housing development, stopped at the sales office and bought a house. Aren't you excited for me?

Oh, well. We all deal with disappointment in our lives. Some days worse than others. You can read more about handling dissapointment in my personal blog today at this link: They Might Be Giants Canceled at Berkeley Tonight.

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Elizabeth Weintraub is co-partner of Weintraub & Wallace Team of Top Producing Realtors, an author, home buying expert at The Balance, a Land Park resident, and a veteran real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown, Carmichael and East Sacramento, as well as tract homes in Elk Grove, Natomas, Roseville and Lincoln. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put our combined 80 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at RE/MAX Gold. DRE License # 00697006.

Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of RE/MAX Gold. Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice; it could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.

Comments(19)

Ronald DiLalla
Century 21 Discovery DRE 01813824 - Anaheim, CA
No. Orange Cty Real Estate

Good morning Elizabeth,   ouch.... you are opening up some past wounds.  Unfortunatley this happens to all of us at one time or another.

Mar 25, 2016 02:38 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Elizabeth 9 chances out of 10 the so called deal is going to blow up and they'll be calling you for advice.

Mar 25, 2016 02:48 AM
Chrissi Chapman Topoleski
Coldwell Banker Realty - Woodbridge, VA
Helping agents live an exceptional life!

That is a huge disappointment, and it's always more disappointing when it happens with past clients who already know what a great job you've done for them. Hope they come back to you when it doesn't work without you.

Mar 25, 2016 03:02 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Good morning, Elizabeth --- when the world hands you lemons, the answer is lemonade....this time maybe with an adult beverage or two.   

Mar 25, 2016 03:17 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Elizabeth, Gut punch start to the day.  And I think one of our biggest challenges is getting buyers to understand they don't save a dime by going straight to the builder without us.

Mar 25, 2016 03:25 AM
Hella M. Rothwell, Broker/Realtor®
Carmel by the Sea, CA
Rothwell Realty Inc. CA#01968433 Carmel-by-the-Sea

Yep, have a Hella time at Ella tonight and forget this loser seller. Just a reminder, when it comes to money, that we need to get everything in writing. And that includes family and friends. Especially them!

Mar 25, 2016 04:28 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Ronald DiLalla Still, doesn't make it any better when this sort of thing happens except for the fact that it is rare.

Anna Banana Kruchten It becomes even trickier when they ask me for advice because unless I have it listed, once they are in contract, and especially if it's with another agent which it very well could be, I can't interfere. When you try to explain to a past client that to give any advice now without a contract would be considered legal advice, which we can't do (not to mention a violation of the COE if they are in contract with an agent), they don't understand and tend to get angry, so it's a no win.

Mar 25, 2016 05:55 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Chrissi Chapman Topoleski Undoubtedly they will call me if and when it blows up. In fact, I can tell you right now they will call me for advice even if it doesn't. They are high maintenance, which is all the weirder that they would even attempt to do this without me.

Mar 25, 2016 05:57 AM
Chrissi Chapman Topoleski

It sounds like there is no doubt based on all that you've already done for them!

Mar 25, 2016 05:59 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Michael Jacobs I think the answer lies within an Ella Manhattan. I swear, they make the BEST Manhattans, with real amarena cherries. But just one. Otherwise I would fall flat on my face.

Liz and Bill Spear Yeah, you called it. A gut punch. Did not see it coming.

Mar 25, 2016 06:00 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hella M. Rothwell, Broker/Realtor® I knew you would like the Hella time at Ella! I'll toast to you tonight. When are you coming to Sacramento to visit?

Mar 25, 2016 06:01 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Bummer about those would-be sellers getting an offer before they signed with you.  

As for the concert cancellation, I am glad you able to take the time you blocked and do something else nice for yourselves.

Mar 25, 2016 06:28 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

That's tough, especially as you probably had them working on the issues that attracted the buyer.  Better days are coming

Mar 25, 2016 07:21 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

It all happens to the best of us, Elizabeth!  Sometimes when I think of FSBO sellers, I think of a quote by Mark Twain. . . "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

Mar 25, 2016 09:55 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

That is too bad. For sure they would have gotten more on the open market. They should also be using you to make sure they don't end up in trouble. That is too bad.

Mar 25, 2016 10:50 AM
Noah Seidenberg
Coldwell Banker - Evanston, IL
Chicagoland and Suburbs (800) 858-7917

Sorry Elizabeth, the news is always either really good or really bad, almost never in between.

Mar 25, 2016 01:52 PM
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Good morning Elizabeth. You're right it is a good lesson to learn, next time you will take the listing first and wait for the property to be ready.

Mar 25, 2016 10:23 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Elizabeth, that is so disappointment, and have a seller now that I have been working with for nearly 9 months with legal issues, contractors, etc.   No listing agreement yet, and he did say someone mailed him a flyer that they will buy it.  We shall see.  So sorry to hear your news!   

Mar 26, 2016 12:47 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Elizabeth, There does seem to be little loyalty … and a lack of overall appreciation for all that we do for people. Thankfully, most of our clients pass the stupid test. 

Mar 26, 2016 01:32 AM
Dee Toohey
Innovative Realty Solutions Group - Longwood, FL
Broker, ABR, AHWD, CIPS, FMS, ePro

Unfortunately, it happens.  I performed similar tasks for a customer last year for their primary home.  I listed and sold their investment property last year.  They listed with someone else at an unrealistic price.  When the listing expired, they called me.  Another visit.  Another listing agent.  That listing just expired and they called me again.  Part of me wants to say no.  The other part says that now that the work is done and they took my advice and had the property appraised and now realize why the home didn't sell in the first place.  We'll see.  But this is the last time we will talk. 

 

I'm sorry that happened to you. 

Mar 26, 2016 07:52 AM