I'm Tim Maitski. I Solve Problems
Key Points
- My highest value in the transaction is "problem solver"
- The best practice is to anticipate and avoid problems
- I like my coffee black
You’ll probably hire me for my excellence but you’ll eventually recognize that my value is in solving the problems that come up. If you follow my advice, the chances of problems will be minimized and you might wonder if you really needed an agent.
Here's the reality. Getting your home under contract doesn't guarantee that it will actually close. In the latest NAR "Confidence Index Report" they have an interesting graphic. 7% of contracts get terminated instead of closing.
The major reason for termination is caused by something that comes up in the inspection.
I wonder how many of these terminations could have been avoided by being more proactive before putting the home on the market? What if the seller had done a pre-listing inspection and corrected the problem before listing? A home that goes back on the market due to an inspection issue takes a big hit.
My detailed listing process is due to the many problems I had to solve in transactions over the years. I won’t say I’ve seen it all because every day brings new experiences, but I would guess that I’ve experienced about 95% of everything that can go wrong.
The best way to solve a problem is to anticipate and avoid the problem. That’s the reason for all of my proactive activities that I recommend.
I Connect with the Scene in "Pulp Fiction"
Some real estate transactions remind me of the scene in the movie Pulp Fiction. I’ve seen sellers similar to John Travolta, tough guys who thought they knew everything. Most of the time they seem to luck out and avoid some terrible situations. They feel real cocky until an unexpected messy accident occurs.
Remember the scene when Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson pick up this teenage kid and they are driving along in their nice white interior car? John Travolta turns around and starts having a friendly conversation with the kid. He has his gun pointing at him in a careless way while he's trying to make nice with him. All of a sudden the car hits a bump and the gun accidentally goes off. Blood and gore all over the place! Travolta and Jackson begin freaking out not knowing how to get out of this sticky situation without getting noticed by the police.
It happens all the time in real estate. The transaction is going along nice and smoothly and out of no where something happens and you have a mess.
I’ve had friends try to sell their home by themselves and the deal blows up on them. Then they give me a call asking for my advice.
It reminds me of John Travolta after that accidental shooting. In a panic, they call their boss. The boss refers them to an expert clean up man who arrives with his classic line, “I’m Winston Wolfe, I solve problems”. He is the cool, calm guy who has all the connections and knows exactly what has to be done. He doesn't get his hands dirty. As he sips his coffee he directs them on exactly what they must do to correct the situation.
He’s blunt and to the point. His rule is simple, if you want results, you do exactly as I say. A few calls are made, the guys do exactly as he says, and they are able to get out of the mess. The guys have a conversion. They are much more humble and now they want to change the way they do business from here on out.
I’ve seen the unexpected messes that are created by Realtor wannabees. It’s usually not tragic but it does cause a lot of stress and loss of money. Most of the time a transaction goes really smoothly.
Some people might question the need to even have a real estate agent at all. But it's always nice to have a "Winston Wolf" along for the ride in case you hit a bump and things get messy.
How valuable is it to have someone like that on your side every step of the way?
My name is Tim Maitski, I solve problems. If you want results, do exactly as I say.
And by the way, I like my coffee black.
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