When you are working with a real estate buyer or seller make sure that all parties are present and accounted for. It often isn't good enough to communicate with one party and allow that party to relay that information accurately to the other person.

Sometimes this can't be avoided. You might have a husband who is overseas, or an in-law who just can't travel because of health reasons. Understood.

Here is where the power of the Internet kicks in. If you can't meet both parties in person during the listing or home finding process, get confirmation online from the person who is M.I.A.

Don't trust that your game of telephone is going to be successful. Whatever you communicated to one party be sure that by the time it gets relayed it will have changed- Hopefully only slightly, but possibly completely.

If you have a hard time relaying this to your clients and finding a tactful way to engage on this topic, think about the grief that you will have saved in the long run for everyone concerned. You don't want to get vetoed by the missing party after all signs were a "go". Even presidential elections have absentee ballots.:-)

Communication is a key component to success. Your clients will thank you in the end. At least the ones who are worth your time, but that's a post for another day.