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Waiting For The Easy One

By
Real Estate Agent with RLAH@properties AB95346

When I was a new agent, I had several settlements scheduled for one day, and everything was crazy.

 One house had termites, which were discovered at the last minute because I forgot to order the inspection.

Another issues with the loan approval that was supposed to be a done deal but wasn't - not even close!

The third transaction got a little dicey when the buyer showed up for the walk-through and discovered his little Toyota Corolla was to long to fit into his Dupont Circle 1-car garage.  He was not happy.

I needed a magician to pull this one off! 

I started to freak out in my wise manager's office.  She looked at me, pulled out her little calculator, pushed in a bunch of numbers, held it up to me and said, "This is how much money you're making today.  If this job was easy, you wouldn't get paid so much to do it!"

It's not that I expect every transaction to be difficult, but I've yet to have one that didn't take some amount of hard work or skill to make it work.  Still, every time I start out with a new project, I ask myself if this is going to be the easy one.

I've had fun ones.  I've had nice ones.  I've had a few really awful ones.  But I've never had a totally easy one.  None that were total no-brainers.

Maybe next week! 

Judy Greenberg
Compass - Long Grove, IL
Compass- Long Grove -Buffalo Grove
Pat, although they are all challenging, they mostly work out in the end.   These days I'm more careful to check on all the details, especially the mortgage approval. 
May 04, 2008 04:09 PM
John MacArthur
Century 21 Redwood - Washington, DC
Licensed Maryland/DC Realtor, Metro DC Homes

Patricia - Lord love a duck, you are so correct. I thought I finally had a piece of cake. Cash deal, no inspection, no contingencies and a ready, willing and able buyer. It was like pulling teeth. I could not believe that the settlement was postponed once and almost never happened.

A cash deal?!?!?!?!?!?

Thanks for the post and the reminder to be a boy/girl scout and "Always be prepared".

May 04, 2008 04:38 PM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate
It is so hard not to get frustrated in this business, it seems all transactions are more difficult these days. We learn as we go, one of the most important things I have learned is to get back on the horse when dealing with a difficult transaction. New ones bring a smile to my face. 
May 04, 2008 10:45 PM
Brian Block
RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President - McLean, VA
Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
Patricia, I've never had an easy one.  Maybe an easy time of finding the house, but from contract to closing there's always something that happens.
May 04, 2008 11:08 PM
Mitchell J Hall
Manhattan, NY
Lic Associate RE Broker - Manhattan & Brooklyn
If it seems too good to be true it usually isn't. Every transaction seems to have something come out of left field that we never could have predicted.
May 05, 2008 01:10 AM
Catarina Bannier
Compass - Chevy Chase, DC
DC Real Estate The Smart And Fun Way

Pat, I've had exactly one (1) easy transaction in all those years, and it was in my first year of business. May I share:

Sunday afternoon, I'm the only one in the office.  The phone rings.  "I just saw this listing on the internet, would you mind showing it to me?" -- "I don't meet people I don't know at vacant properties.  You will have to come to the office first." -- "I'll be there in half an hour." -- "Have you been pre-qualified?" --"Yes, I have a pre-approval letter from [big lender] for [3 times the price of the apartment]." -- "I only work with buyers when I represent them; you will first have to sign an agreement."  -- "No problem, we don't have an agent yet."

He came in with his boyfriend, saw the place, did not want to see anything else, wrote the offer that night, and I didn't see him again until the settlement three weeks later.  And they were so nice!

Now wouldn't it be boring if they were all like that?  (Maybe not...)

May 05, 2008 02:04 AM
Kelly Sibilsky
Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD. - Lake Zurich, IL
I've had some that were, while I wouldn't say "easy", were so pleasant and enjoyable because of the people I was working with...and others that were so difficult they reduced me to tears. It's a career unlike any other.
May 05, 2008 02:06 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Judy, staying on top of the mortgage stuff is certainly prudent these days!  You never know!

John, and the settlement did finally happen!  That was probably due in no small part to your skills.

And Brian, when Gilda Radner said her famous, "There's always something," she had us in mind!

May 05, 2008 02:10 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Mitchell, without the surprises, whatever would we do for blog fodder?

Caterina, when you get something like that early in your career, you start to think it's normal!  It isn't!  Usually.

Kelly, mine are usually pretty pleasant, and one reason is that I think I shield my clients from some of the goofiness, at least if it's not transaction-threatening.

May 05, 2008 05:00 AM
Carol Culkin
Diamond Partners Inc - Overland Park, KS
Overland Park Residential Real Estate
Pat - I had a guy buy the only house I ever showed him. Thought that was going to be easy money but there was one delay after another with his lender. We closed 45 days after the contract closing date and it screwed up both the buyer's and seller's Christmas...and this agent had a little less spendng money during that particular holiday season! I also counted my chickens a little too early!    
May 05, 2008 07:22 AM
"The Lovely Wife" The One And Only TLW.
President-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Kissimmee, FL

Patricia...

It must be your market...Most of our Transactions are no brainers.

It's either that or we've just been doing this too long :)

TLW...ROAR!

May 05, 2008 10:12 AM
James Downing - Metro DC Houses Team REALTORS®, CRS, GRI, ABR,MRP, MilRes
Real Living | At Home - Washington, DC
When Looking to Buy or Sell - Make the Right Move
As we all learn - the one's that look easy - NEVER ARE !  The tricky ones (which are most of them) are when we really earn our keep.
May 05, 2008 10:33 AM
Julianna Hind
eXp Realty - Tacoma, WA
REALTOR, 206-679-4768, Tacoma Federal Way, Auburn, Kent, WA
Are you kididng me -- I do admit, as a stager, I have never had to worry about placing a Toyota Corolla! HA! You make it look like a piece of cake my friend!
May 05, 2008 02:14 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Pat, the real magic in real estate sales is making a transaction look easy! 
May 05, 2008 06:29 PM
David Saks
Memphis, TN
Broker / Industry Analyst
Whew... you've had a few headaches, Patricia. It's always easier to put all of the eggs in one basket if they're scrambled. It's tougher for the fresh eggs to fit without breaking. Sorting priorities is a priority. Sounds like you're taking care of business just fine. Perhaps an awning would've worked for the Corolla? :-)
May 05, 2008 08:22 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
I've had one easy one.  The buyers had already worked out the deal with the sellers because they worked together.  The seller had to pay a commission.  Buyers chose me to get the selling side.  Gift!  Just like a Christmas gift because they liked me!  One easy one.
May 06, 2008 12:55 PM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Carol, oh yeah, chicken counting!  I've been know to do that once or twice!

TLW, you are just too funny!  i read your posts!

James, Yes, they are all tricky.  All of them are at one time or another.

And Juliana, and Corollas area not huge cars!  It was sort of Yugo sized, probably built for a Model-T!

May 07, 2008 01:30 PM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Eric, one of my buyers actually got a real estate license a few months after settlement, and she said I made it look easy.  Hah!

David, I suggested he turn it in for a Model-T!  In the neighborhood he bought in, having anyplace to put your car is great, so he got over it.

And Barbara, I've had some that weren't terribly difficult.  Just never easy.

May 07, 2008 01:34 PM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

Pat - Each one is unique and a new learning experience! That is what makes this work so interesting!

May 13, 2008 06:12 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Patricia, I am convinced easy ones don't exist. We are dealing with lots of people here.

May 13, 2008 06:29 AM