Call of the Day – It’s going to take a (small) miracle!
The call came in around 1pm on the Monday before Christmas while I was eating lunch so it went to voicemail before I could answer. The caller left a message that started with “You don’t know me, but…” and I knew things were about to get interesting.
He was the son of one of my customers who wintered here in Cocoa Beach with his wife for the past several years. His father had just decided to come to Cocoa Beach for the winter and wanted me to help him find a good seasonal rental. And…he wanted it January 1st through April 30th, which is peak season here for our snowbirds and was just ten days away!
I knew the chances of finding a rental for that time period were almost nil but told him that I would do my best to help his father and arranged a time to call him directly.
BACKGROUND
Since his father was a long time customer and I knew there were special circumstances that accounted for the short notice, I felt compelled to accommodate his request.
Here’s how it all started…
He and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. X, for privacy reasons) were referred to me several years earlier by an agent in the office we were with at the time. The agent was fairly new to the area and not familiar with our rental market so made the referral to me.
Mr. and Mrs. X were easy to work with and I enjoyed helping them find their winter rental each year. Over the years, we got to know each other fairly well and they sometimes called me if they needed help with something, such as finding a doctor or other local information.
In 2015 Mrs. X notified me, that due to health issues, they would not be coming to Cocoa Beach that winter. A couple months later Mrs. X’s son notified me that she was in the hospital and things did not look good. A couple weeks later he notified me that she had passed and thanked me for all I had done for her and her husband over the years.
Due to his wife’s death, I did not think Mr. X would come to Cocoa Beach alone for the winter so his son’s phone call was quite a surprise.
IT’S GOING TO TAKE A (SMALL) MIRACLE!
I called Mr. X and we had a nice chat then discussed his rental needs. He understood it would be difficult, maybe impossible, to find a rental on such short notice but I could sense his pain and need to get away so assured him I would do my best.
I searched the MLS until it was a blur. The few available rentals were too big, too small, too expensive or not in the desired area but I refused to give up. Plan “B” was put in place and after a marathon of searching and phone calls, I found a perfect rental for him. 
The monthly rent fit his budget, the condo was well located in an area that was familiar and comfortable to him and the owner even agreed to let him move in a few days early! I previewed the unit, took lots of pictures, called Mr. X to discuss and emailed the pics to his son. He was thrilled, I notified the owner, we worked out the details and the lease was prepared.
WELCOME TO COCOA BEACH!
Exactly one week after his son’s phone call, Mr. X arrived in Cocoa Beach. We met privately to talk and catch up then met with the owner to sign the lease and access the unit. He liked the complex and the convenient location and fit right in with the other residents.
It was nothing short of a small miracle to find the perfect rental for him on such short notice during high season and the smile on his face was thanks enough. I was glad that I stayed with the search and did not let him down.
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