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Crossing the invisible line......

I've only been in real estate for 5 years, but I have found a theme in my transactions and in fact my life.

The reoccuring theme is crossing an invisible line. It's about passion and purpose and decisions too.

Some of you know right now what I am talking about and some of you will understand in a few sentences, because you live your life too crossing this invisible line. Others may not know what I am talking about and if you don't, at some point you will have to decide if you will cross it or not.

What I am talking about is that point in every business relationship or Real Estate transaction. The point where you have to decide are you going to do you job and just your job and do it well and leave the rest alone, or will you step over the line and do something that others may question, that you may regret or that simply is really not your job. The point at which it stops just being a transaction and it becomes personal.

By nature I walk close to this line all day every day. I have never been good in the role of uninterested observer. People draw me in. I am addicted and frankly seduced by humanity in general. I know many have very negative feelings about people in general, but my experiences while I certainly cannot say they are all positve ( I'm Anna, not Pollyanna!) I feel that in general people are good. People are interesting and worthwhile when you get to know them not matter who they are. I also feel that when I have been slighted or treated badly I might have done the same in their shoes.

But here lies my dilima. I have found that I cannot work with people with out becoming involved. I cannot work with a client with out coming to really care for them and I cannot remain detached. I also can't seem to come to a place in business where I am not crossing the line.

I am not here talking about some lines that I have vowed NOT to ever cross. Those lines involve clients asking me to be dishonest or to do something that is no ethical. I also have never had an issue with crossing a line with a client in any moral sense, nor have I ever been tempted by that or the ethical question. However.......well let me explain the line.

The line is that place where you know you are doing or are about to do something for a client, other realtor or business person something that well, really, is not your job. It is outside not of your scope of practice ( I get help for that from another Realtor who knows more than me about what ever it may be) but it is outside your scope of well....I guess the scope of things that keep you neatly removed from the client. Some times it is subtle and some times it isn't let me give you some examples and I think you will recognize some of the times when you too cross the line.

*Meeting a client @ 2am in the morning since they have a flight that leaves @ 5 am and no access to fax on their trip and that is the only time they can sign off this counter offer.

*Inviting a client who is losing their home to foreclosure over for dinner, since you know they have nothing to eat.

*loaning a client money

*Answering the phone late at night

*Meeting clients @ my home

*Going from door to door in the rain to promote your listing ( some times with a baby on your hip)

*Calling the bank that is about to foreclose on your client even though you are on the only "real" family vacation your family has ever taken. ( and getting up before 5am since they are on another time zone)

*Staging a home for a client who does not have the money to do so since you know this home will not sell at all with out the staging.

*Agreeing to be a client's power of atty since they have no one else they trust as much while they are out to sea.

*checking on a client's home you sold them when they are out of town.

* driving by a client's rental homes even though they have a property manager to be sure nothing looks out of place.

*Securing a loan for some one so they do not lose their home.

*Staying up well past 1am to be sure a client's ads get on line when your assistant was sick and it didn't get done so you are doing it ( did I mention you are sick too?)

These are just a few of the times when I know I have crossed that line with a client. Some other examples I know of with Realtors that have crossed the line.....

* painting the weather side of a house so that it will pass inspection and be able to close since the sellers do not have the money and are not physically capible of doing it.

*paying to have a lawn mown since the out of state seller can't and the fire department is calling.

* labeling every plant in a huge over acre garden with the type so that the home could be marketed as a " secret garden" and appeal to gardeners who are looking in the area.

*Helping an elderly client sort through all of their belongings before they moved.

*Taking care of a fellow realtor's business when she was in a coma in the hospital and never taking her clients, just caring for them and giving the injured comatose realtor ALL of the profits.

*Taking a fellow realtor who's disability into their home to live

...........

I could go on.

I will keep crossing the line I am sure. I think some days I do it several times in one day. I cross the line for my team too. I will not say that I will repeat every decision I have made in the past or repeat some of the ways that I have, ( hind sight is 20-20 and I don't like to learn from more than one lump on my head from the same thing) However I know I could not live my life personally or professionally in a dispassonate way.

Many people have crossed the line for me you see....some fellow realtors, some simply the people in my life and some, yes some of them are clients.

*Standing up for me when I was being criticized for working with my children in tow

*Taking the time and patience required to teach me when I was brand new and even though there was training available on this very thing, I could not come for lack of childcare.

* For generously giving me gifts like , giving our family the deck off of their house. ( se recent post)

* For taking the time to teach me about what they know about investing, even though I am their realtor.

* Offering my family a 1 week paid vacation ( we just need airfair) as a thank you gift ( no we did not take it)

*bringing my children gifts

* putting up with my children being along for the ride at the time.

*throwing me a baby shower.

*Helping me refinish a space for my new office

*encouraging me when I am down

* referring great people to me

* being willing to meet me @ my house to sign papers since it means less time away from my children

And so much more.......

Now I am not saying everyone should cross the line and there are times I would ( knowing the outcome) make a different choice the next time. For a long time however I beat myself up, saying other realtors were more professional than me, that I should be all business and so on, and yes, I have had to learn to set boundaries, but I have come to the conclusion it is just as important to know when to cross them. To help simply because you can and it is the right thing to do, even if it means doing the right thing means you will not get a paycheck for work you have done, even if it is inconvenient or difficult.

I admit it alot of what seduces me about humanity is the fact that we are really all very very vulnerable and we need eachother. This can be terrifying...until you realize that means everyone else is too and they may need you. Then you can set the fear aside and focus on others and simply ask how can I step over the line, offer your hand and help more than what was expected, care more than was expected and make a difference more than expected.

It is a frightening, exhilarating and wonderful way to do business, and instead of fighting it like I have for so long, I have finally decided to embrace it.

So if you need a realtor who does not do the exact same thing for every client. Who you want to see long after your first Real Estate transaction is over, who will step over the line if it is called for, then my team and I may be right for you.

If you want someone with perfect professional bearings, the type of back ground noise you would expect in an office and who always has an answer for you, well we are not going to keep you happy. Stay inside the lines and choose a Realtor who does too. If this is how you operate you will be happiest with an agent who has a very well segmented life.

However I submit, to potential clients and to Realtors and other business people as well,

The business person who does not burn out, who grows personally while growing professionally and who you feel like coming back to over and over usually is the person you know DID step over the line for you, isn't it?

Realtors, if you hesitate to step over the invisible line, but feel yourself pulled there, go ahead, step over. Do set boundaries, but be sure they are simply to protect you and your clients, not just out of fear or discomfort. Be willing to think outside the box, but be sure you also color inside the lines.

Anna Matsunaga is with Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty, a company that is known in the industry for thinking outside the box & stepping over the line. Feel free to contact our team for Real Estate questions or for other ways we can help @ 253 212 1252

Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Realty Tacoma

www.teammomentumrealestate.com 253-353-2662

Posted by Anna Matsunaga on 09/05/2008 01:44 AM

Comments (98)

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98 Comments on Crossing the invisible line......

SEP

2008

I loved your comments, just be carefull not to cross the line one too many times and either the buyer or the seller will take legal action....

I agree, being careful is what I am talking about with not coloring outside the lines. If it is a matter of ethics or morality or law, those lines are not to be crossed, I also do not consider them to be "invisible" you know for sure you are crossing them when you do. With the more " invisible" lines, you may not know you did it until it is retrospect.....it also is not so perfectly clear cut as those lines which I agree, no one should even come any where NEAR!

Anna - You have said it very well. Like you, I can't help but come to care for my clients in the same way as you have written. What I get in return is ten fold and well worth it! I don't know if I would label a 1 acre garden - oh, who am I kidding, yes I would!

You soung like my kind of Realtor. Your list had quite a few of my lines on it. I alos take passion and pride in my services.

Is it really crossing the line? It just sounds like your passionate and want the best. I have done many of the same things. Go the extra mile to get the job done!

I don't think it is a bad line to cross, just that it is the line between impersonal and personal, it is the line between not putting your neck out and putting it out, risking your time and or your money and so on for the sake of your client.

Anna,

Normally I don't read long posts but that was worth it. Going above and beyond is what makes you feel great when you're so tired you can hardly stand. Investing youself in others is always a good investment. I would agree with some of the other posts and say use caution. I've lent, and given money. I've had people temporarily stay. Frankly, lots of times they end up resenting you for your help. Just be sure if you lend money you understand you might not get it back. If you let someone move in they may not respect your property or privacy as you might want them to. In other words, when you give, don't expect anything in return. You will never be disappointed and may even be REALLY blessed. Then again, I have a feeling you've already experienced that. I think for people who aren't willing to cross that line, life must be pretty dull.

SEP

2008

The lines you describe are definitely those that put you at the FRONT of the line and set a caring, ethical, professional agent ahead of the pack. Crossing these kinds of lines are what makes this career rewarding!

Interesting post. There are times it is hard not to "cross the line" and to tell someone no.

Great post. Its amazing to think back at all the things we do over the course of time. Being a realtor can be very fulfilling in many ways.

When I first went into real estate, my prayer was that I would always put God first and not get caught up in the quest for money, recognition, power, etc. Your list of ways you have crossed the line show me your priority is not money, power, recognition, etc but others. God bless.

Certainly made us ponder the thoughts...very compelling thought process about crossing the line. Good job!

Thanks,

Tom Davis

World Class Delaware Realtor

While I admire your grit and determination, I am concerned that you are exposing yourself to more liability than you should.

I believe that we should be compassionate in our dealings with clients (or anyone else for that matter) however "loaning a client money" and some of the other suggestions are not part of the picture and there is the other line you did not mention in the post. At some point, healthy boundaries must be established or else it just becomes an issue of co-dependency. Good post and you sound both kind and professional.

I've always been a firm believer in that you get back from people what you give. Sometimes it can bite you in the .... but normally it is very rewarding.

I have boundaries and rules but those rules also get broken. Typically I don't answer my phone after 5. Last night I was taking calls all the way to dinner (bless my hub) at 7. I start at 5 AM every day also so my days are usually long.

If you love real estate you will get sucked into it and I don't think you are really crossing the line :)

A number of you are alarmed about the loaning a client money part. I don't do it often, but there are times where money needs to come from somewhere in order for a transaction to close....like the house is in foreclosure, the client has very little and it can't close with out the utilities being turned on for instance. I have also paid for inspections and repairs so that things could close. In the end I got paid back, but I have never loaned what I would not be willing to walk away from.

I also will do for some situations what I would not do for another. For instance, I would not have a power of atty for just any client. I would for one I have known and worked well with for years and done numerous transactions with. I agree we must take care with liability, but at the same time we can be so careful that we are caring more about our own rear end than our client, some times it is scary, but when I must choose between my client and myself, as long as I do not feel I am putting my self, my team and my family in great jeprody, I choose my client. Wrong, not sure....

While I admire your passion, some of the items you mentions could end up harming you. If I was to agree to having power of attorney for a client I wipe out my E&O insurance. Something you might want to check up on. I would never take my kids out in the rain to promote a listing. The rain will pass. and finally I would never invite clients off the street to my house. I cherish my family too much to risk the client actually being a crazed lunatic.

I did a similar blog on 9/5/08 where I talked about Protecting Our Boundaries. You really do need to be careful and make some purposeful, intentional changes or the Tazmanian Devils will eat you up. Not that you shouldn't care, of course you should. We're in a "people" business. But if you keep your transactions totally professional, and to-the-T all business, you will be happier and healthier in the end. Have a good list of resources you can refer clients to for all sorts of needs, including counseling. You can be a friend to them but as a business/professional friend and not a savior or sacrificer. I have recently discovered the problems and stress my over-delivering can cause me, my marriage and my family which are more important than any double-digit commission will ever be. We do work very close to the flame....just be very careful not to get burned.

The power of atty thing, well, my broker checked for liability very thoughly on that before she let me do it. Going in the rain with kids, well we would have been going out any way, it's Washington, we can't avoid the rain, we can only dress for the weather, if we avoided rain, well we would never go out of doors for months at a time. I have too much problems with S.A.D. to stay in when it is raining. I just stay in with them when they are sick. ( which is not that often) And No, I never ever have some one I do not know well @ my house. Most of the business I do it with clients I have known for a long time or who are referred to me by those folks. I agree about care with some one you do not know from Adam. In the beginning I always meet them at the office, I be sure it is when lots of people are there, I take a copy of their driver's license and when I show a home I am sure that 3 people know where I am, I call just before I get out of the car to at least one of them and then call once inside the house and as soon as I am out, I am not careless about protecting myself or my family, none of us can afford to be.

I do however have lots of ongoing clients who come to my home to do transactions and I feel comfortable having those they refer to me and know well, besides these folks no one even has my address let alone be invited over I use the office and office address for them. I am glad you brought this safety issue up, I was not clear about WHO I met at my home.

I'm not in the business of loaning clients money.. I have gone the extra mile many times..

No one can accuse you of giving less than 110%

Dear Anna, thanks. If I ever move to Tacoma, you'll be my real estate agent. Superior service is what I call that!

Anna - It sounds like you permanently relocated the line. Each of us has a different threshold for what they are willing to do to help people. I personally would never (again) loan money to anyone outside of my family. It causes too much tension on the relationship. However, I wouldn't think twice about doing many of the items you mentioned above. Above all else, we are humans.

Definately, I used to say that once you are in this business, It becomes a lifestyle and not just a career and the family joins in and then you are so hooked! 18 years of hooked for me.

Would have been a great post but rambled on too long. I prefer to think of it as going out of my way to do more, not crossing the line. Beware that even if you think of it as acts of kindness your crossing the line may lead to liablity suits.

You're quite a realtor.

Best Wishes

Rich

Charlotte NC

Crossing the line? No, with the exception of loaning a client money (or co-signing/guaranteeing a loan). Those are things, although tempted at times, I would never allow myself to get involved in. Going above and beyond the call of duty? Absolutely. You and many of us do it all the time as a matter of course. We simply couldn't - or wouldn't - do business any other way. Do I think any less of Realtors who don't do business this way? Not at all. I would never stand in judgment of the way another Realtor conducts their business. Some of them actually have lives for heaven's sake! ;-D Great post! Keep up the good work.

It's not only superior service it is the kind of person you are - kind, compassionate and truly interested - continue your good work!

I tough piece to write about. Are you learning it, have you regretted learning it? Wonder why you keep doing it when you shouldn't? Those are the questions. Just remember to do YOUR job only, that of the realtor and things go more smoothly than you could imagine. I used to do that when I was a newbie in the business, I think all have to go thru this period and then it stops in about year 7.

I dont see them as lines more as doing the right thing. Every person will be different and every situation is different. If I conciously have to think of lines I think it stop me doing what I think is right. Sounds like you just need some confidence ibuilding n what you do. Have you thought of Changing Brokers?

I do not think what you describe is crossing the line but is what most of the buying public expects of us as real estate professionals. It is part of the complete package. Anyone who thinks otherwise is apparently working in an entirely differnt market than me.

Mike Fournier

Best Choice Realt,Inc. Tawas City,Michigan

Anna,

You are me and I am you (except for the POA thing, never done that!). Like you, I'm a humanist and love people and look for and expect the good in people, so that's mostly what I find. Sure, ocassionally I get burned when I dance too close to the flame; but I give my all to my clients because that's who I am and it's what I've always done with family and friends. In the 4 years that I've been a Realtor, I too have tried to be only a consummate professional, and leave it at that but it's just not my nature, as it isn't yours. There's no sense fighting it. What I ask myself before I go out on a limb for someone is this, "Am I hurting, subjugating or in any way marginalizing myself or my family in an irreparable way by doing this extra thing?" If the answer is "No" then I'm in it up to my elbows! Keep doing what you're doing cause you're not gonna be able to change. Don't fret over it and don't defend yourself for it. It's what makes you, I'm sure, an extraordinary Realtor and human being. God Bless.

What you are talking about is being a good person. People like you are called saints. Do not want to bring religion in this conversation or this site for fear of being politically correct but there is a place in heaven for you.

Anna, great post. Crossing the line, no. Doing the right thing even though it's easier not to, yes. I could add:

Fronting a $16,000 earnest check for the young executive who won the lottery for a great home but forgot his wallet. (in a crazy market)
cat-stiing a client's cat for 2 months while they are in transition
buying a house in my name & or nominee for a young couple in a crazy market just to sew it up for them
crying with clients at the table as we talk thru the short sale process
crying on the phone with someone at the national headquarters for HUD (am I noticing a crying theme? Anyway, it turned out well).

Blessings!

In the market today, you must put in long hours, we all know real estate is not m-friday 9-5. At least not for any agent I know! Working till midnight is a usual thing all weekend also, except for 1 weekend a month I do dedicate to my family. I also grow very close to many of my clients, some I would like to strangle but 98% are great to work with and I attend all their social gaterings that I am invited to! I would never loan money or do or say anything unethical that would hold me or my broker liable. Myabe the line is as fine as you make it.

Anna~ First of all, congrats on the feature! Your post was enjoyable to read and hit home for me on many aspects. Like you, I feel compassionate and often times, have gotten so close with many of my clients that they are now my dearest friends. My only caution (from experience) is to protect yourself, legally and emotionally, as there are some who will take advantage of your generosity and when that happens, it can be hurtful! Keep up the good work!

One of my favorite memories "crossing the line" was when I moved a 60 foot tree that fell across my seller's driveway so we could hold a Broker's Open House. Luckily it was February and about 20degrees out so I was able to push/slide/lift the tree over the ice to the side of the driveway.

Hi Anna - Congrats on the feature. As a newer agent, I have thought about where my line is and you have certainly given me food for thought. Thank you!

Awesome Blog! Encouraging for a fairly new agent! Thanks for being honest and open.

Anna, I loved your post. Especially after today (9-5), reading this was like a blast of warm water in a cold shower.

Much to my boss's chagrin (at times) I have shown up on an early saturday morning, groggy from the night before and spent 14 hours rebuilding a two story deck, I have fixed leaking toilets, painted, fixed plumbing, helped move in and out of homes etc etc etc. I am a mortgage broker, and I especially enjoy working with anybody in our sister industries with the same attitude.

In hindsight; a few of the people that we have helped have later turned to be ungrateful you know whats. But most others have been outstanding individuals, and given the opportunity they would help another in need at the drop of the hat if they could. I don't think that this is crossing the line, I think it is being a human being.

Keep up the great work!

Great article. As I read the article I felt you were talking about me. My clients become my friends because I fall in love with almost everyone of them. I always miss seeing them so much when a transaction closes. I am also a very passionate person and humanity has a way of sucking me and my big heart in.

Great post. Many of us go beyond business to assist our sellers and buyers. But I'm also the Operations Manager for the Broker and I'm not sure how I feel about a few of your activities. I just recently waved, with my Brokers blessing, almos all of my commission so a young family would not go into foreclosure.

I guess the one that worries me the most is a mother out at 2 am. I keep telling my Agents not to do things like that but it worked for you. It has not worked for others. Please be careful.

I wish you the best and again a great post.

Wow- good for you! ( I hope I can take a small page from your book, its called Customer Service! )

Thanks for great reading.....

Anna, great post. I think that a line is set for each client. The line may be the same or different, after all one of the duties of a fiduciary is to put the needs of our client above our own, and it is apparent that you do that. Congrats for being a true agent.

Can you help me paint my deck?

Congratulations on being a Featured Post! Sounds like you give 200%! You are very caring and brave. I am passionate about helping people. I must admit you have done things I would not consider doing, but that is why I said you are brave :) Do protect yourself legally, though.

You will have a great career off the referrals alone that your past clients will give you.

Anna,

Crossing the line, no way you moved the line and will be rewarded through out your life both personally and professionally with not only friends for life but raving fans for life....You are a 5% in the game of real estate ...Keep up the good work!!!!

Although I respect your professional approach to your business, many of the things you describe could lead to what I would term "burn-out". Crossing the line occasionally may be necessary, but putting yourself in harms way legally and emotionally are not to your advantage in the long run.

Anna great post and I hope lots of people read this. This is what life is all about.

Thanks,
Greg Adelman

Midwest Home Center LLC.
715-483-0012
612-735-4414 cell
612-395-5444 fax

www.midwesthomecenter.com

I had an out of ton buyer, for whom I took a virtual tour of their second home construction every three to four days, just because they couldn't be there to watch their home being built. I got the builder to add a ton of oupgrades for free, and got to make a really good friend of the construction superintintendent in the process. The puchase price was only 4150k, but they at least knoew how their home was put together, fom the slab up.

I also saved over 1,000 homeowners from losing their homes in 2007.

I color outside the lines, if the picture looks better, and there is no box that can hold me.

It is about caring about the people connected to our porfession, including other porfessionals.

Anna-

This is only the 2nd year I've been in real estate and I think I've crossed most of the "lines" you described. I thought maybe I wasn't doing things right if I was getting that involved with my clients. After reading your article, I think now I know I MUST be doing it right, and that maybe, this is the right place for me to be. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone and for inspiring me to keep crossing those lines.

I had this conversation with my wife because not only in business but in life I find myself with a bleeding heart. As a Realtor, Landlord and person my bleeding heart always seem to put me in a situation where in hindsite I realized that I left myself WIDE OPEN. My wife's response to me was "You can't change who you are."

I guess it's not only the risk of being in the service business but it's a risk you take in life.

However, what I have started to do recently is instead of putting myself out there I'm starting to point people in the write direction to get the help they need. I see more appreciation from this than when I step up to the plate to bail someone out of a situation.

thanks for the post

cold post. It's hard not to get involve. If you are passionate about what you do and if you want to help people

Boundary setting has been one of my real challenges. You see, I have a Masters in Divinity and a Masters in Library Science. I have been programmed to be a servant. It has been very hard for me to make the switch to the profit orientation of the real estate business.... "You mean I am allowed to make money off these people?" I am used to being used and abused for very little money. I have had jobs that essentially were paid volunteer positions.

I have been in the real estate business again for the past three years. I have fed the cats on a daily basis for a client that moved to Alaska and said, "They were street cats anyway when I adopted them." I have pruned shrubs so that a house could be seen. I have paid for windows to be replaced. I have rekeyed houses at my own expense. The list goes on and on.

I love my job because I am able to engage in ministry on a daily basis. I don't wait for people to walk into my office any more. I can go looking for them

But you know? It's OK to make some money too.

Website URL: Office Phone: Cell Phone: Fax Number: Address:

Great job. I really enjoy reading. It's hard not to get involve. If you are passionate about what you do and if you want to help people. Thanks

Contact Mayra Espinosa

http://www.sanmateomlslistigs.com

(650) 227-8812

(650) 996-8961

(650) 578-0222

1116 S. El Camino Real , San Mateo, CA, 94402

Anna,

I've got family in the Tacoma area, and now I know who to refer them to should they ever need a Realtor.

I, too, cross the line, yet recently have tried to put some boundaries on it, as I've seen the spill-over effect on to our 5-year old son. At the same time, I know that I'm teaching him huge life lessons by example, and that's priceless. I think like everything, it's balance.

I also believe we were both attracted to Keller Williams for the same reason :)

Julia Fishel, Suncoast Partners @ Keller Williams Realty, Palm Harbor (Clearwater/Tampa Bay), FL

Anna, You sound like a wonderful, caring person; but not like a Professional Realtor. You are doing things that will put you in harms way and make you very liable. After 21 years in this business, I have learned to provide great "appropriate" service and care for my clients and I have many repeat clients in multiple transactions.

You are not treating your business in a professional way, mixing home and office and children and 2am in the morning and loaning money & power of atty & painting decks etc. This is not professional and not a good example for new realtors at all. If you have a Broker with any creditability and ethical beliefs at all he or she should "cringe" at the things you are doing. Your actions like working until midnight and at 2am in the morning give the industry a bad name and the reputation that we are less than professional and to be "used" by anyone. We work hard as realtors and follow strict ethical guidelines and a lot of the general public still has a bad perception of us.....what you are doing is hurting our professional image and making people expect us to do these weird things and work 24/7 which is ridiculous. You need a good mentor to help you guide your caring and empathy into the proper channels and stay on tract being a "professional." Also, just an FYI that might help you.....your blog was way too long and rambling. Good luck to you in the future and I hope you will change your habits quite a bit to protect yourself and help uphold our profession in high esteem rather than tear it down.

Carol has a point. However, you are a very giving person and you would not be as great as you are if you were strictly porfessional.

I really feel for you. You are probably going over the line, but like many others have sid, be careful not to lose your home through a lawsuit or other legal action!

Nice to hear about someone who really goes out of her way for her friends/ clients

Jim

You just gave an excellent testimony in defense of your commission full service above and

beyond the call of duty you will grow your business. Keep up the good work your are great

asset to all Realtors.

Sounds like you are me and I just cut my commission to make the offer go through. I don't cross the lines, but believe in just not putting a sign in the yard and walking off.

Keep up your passion as it is mine too.

www.bobsellssumter.com

Thank you all for so many comments, as I said in the post there are some of those things I would not do again, however I would do many of them again, we do learn as we go, some things you decide are a mistake and you do not do it again. Yes some of the things I would not repeat. The meeting a client @ 2am, well, I had had the client as a regular for over a year at the time....and had never even done one thing for him after hours in that year, he flew in for only a few hours and there were mulitple offers as well.

I wanted to write about this because while I go above and beyond, I am constantly evaluating where the lines need to be and what ones should or should not be crossed. I wanted to know more about how all of us struggle with this and what we do about it. I'm not sure how loaning money I would be willing to walk away from in order to help a deal close would be a liability. I do understand the concern about the POA, but this is not something I would do for every client. I am careful, but I am also careful to be sure I am thinking of myself more than my client. I do put my family before my clients and the clients are a close 2nd.

SEP

2008

Crossing the line between professional and friend is often necessary in our business, and is usually rewarded with great referrals. More often than not, it is necessary in order to get a deal done (I laughed out loud when you posted about painting a house so it would pass inspection...I've been there). It is important, however, to HAVE a line...being a power of attorney for someone, or loaning them money...any of the scenarios that you spelled out that blur the lines when it comes to legal issues are very dangerous. Continue to give 110%, but be careful that you don't get yourself into legal hot water. Nobody is ever going to sue you for working too hard, though.

Cheers,

Brendan

Like I've said I do not loan to just anyone, and for any reason. I have loaned money to get power turned back on for instance since we would not be able to close unless it was on and I was the only one in the transaction with the money to do so. When I did that I was to be paid from escrow and out agreement was if it did not close, well, I did not get paid. ( one instance but the others are similar) Not sure how this could be illegal.

The power of atty, done for a client who has been one for most of my career. I do not make a single decision with out his go ahead. I consult him at every turn plus I document that I did. I basically just am there to sign, not to make the decisions, he just has no way to sign when he is out to sea.

I think we all have the need to cross the line from professional to personal to get the job done, it is just a matter of deciding your boundaries. Like with my children, I do not have the exact same boundaries for each client since they all have different needs. Most of my clients for instance I would never have a POA for.

PERFORM SPELLCHECKS...

To quote a friend: Do the right thing - Do it right now!

Anna,

Crossing the line? What line? As a fellow newer realtor, I also believe we have responsibilities as human beings to help others when they need us. I too have done many of the things you have spoken of and those I haven't done, I am sure I will. You see, for me, it is all about making a difference in people's lives. Just think of the professional, emotional and spiritual rewards you are reaping every day. We do have a responsibility to our families and ourselves but I have never done anything without thoroughly examining the possible consequences (I am certain you have done this as well). My clients become my friends and I cherish the friendships and relationships that I have been blessed with because of my willingness to "cross the line". I really don't see the line, I see the possibility to be a better person and the best realtor possible!

Bless you and the kindness you spread everyday! We reap what we sow and you are sowing generosity of spirit and boundless kindness which you will reap tenfold!

Shonnie

You will be rewarded for going the xtra mile but make sure your not being taken advantage of.

You are crossing a lot of line there ! Some of those would make me very uncomfortable -- please be careful. ~ Evelyn

What goes around comes around. I'm a firm believer in that...by going the extra mile you will be rewarded 10 fold....you care about your clients...there is nothing wrong with that....

Anna, this was a very interesting post to read, including the comments. Defining healthy boundaries is a real challenge. Thank you for addressing this issue with such honesty and vulnerability.

Great post. Setting yourself apart from the rest. Be blessed!

I like your way of thinking...I have read a quote that this post reminds me of..."If you help enough people get what they want, you in turn will get what you want"...for me it the satisifaction of helping someone achieve their goals/dreams...nothing better! Keep crossing those lines!

Great post! I really don't feel like that is crossing the line. For me, that is just living by your own standards - the Golder=n Rule. If I can't do that, I have no reason for being.

In today's market, I have many times stretched beyond the normal boundaries in helping sellers to ready their homes to sell. Sometimes they don't even have money to buy a gallon of paint. Realtors know what it takes to have a marketable product, and doing whatever it takes (within legal & ethical lines) to get that accomplished is just part of the job... and it is the part most clients appreciate the most! Thanks for the insightful post!

Too long of a rambling post, I'm surprised it received the gold star. Have we dropped our standards. You cross a line of liability and it scares me.

Karen, I could not agree with this assessment more. I was beginning to wonder "what's wrong with me?" I believe, if even half of this "Mother Teresa" saga is true in five brief years of practicing real estate, the time playing Good Samaritan would have been far better served with continuing education that would enhance a relatively new agent's skills to truly better serve the client. Establishing your own website, improving the rankings of that site and creating your own blogsite that features your skills and listings are all endeavors that further improve your business and help your clients. We get paid for professionally helping and counseling our clients. For me, that is a 60-hour a week job. The contracts, the laws, the addendum, the interests rates, the guidance we deliver all change rapidly. These are the areas in which we should all be focusing our efforts. Lets all raise the level of professionalism so that the public will hold us in esteem for our knowledge and service but not servitude. That is what people resort to that have nothing else to offer.

Sometimes a job becomes more than a job, it becomes one's passion. That can be good, or bad, depending on the circumstances! Thanks for your posting, but I agree, it could have been a lot shorter. There's an old saying at Apple Computer in the 1980s... the CEO would not accept any memo over one page. One Director wrote up an important issue. He added at the beginning: I would have made just one page, but there was not enough time!

Before I started in real estate, I thought I was too "soft" to be in real estate. I'd heard stories!!! When I finally decided to make it my career, I stepped over the lines you talk about repeatedly... and more people started using me and referring me. Not what I had expected. They said I wasn't the typical realtor they had expected to "HAVE" to work with. Worked out well for everyone concerned. Keep crossing those lines, as long as they aren't the questionable ones!

Yes, guys the post was too long, I must have written it in the middle of the night. Please know too that in addition to doing these things for my clients I do go through lots and lots of training, on an average my team invests 10 hours or more a week in training.

Most of my clients are over and over and over clients. This makes the doing more for them make more sense. Instead of investing the same time in looking for new people, I invest it in my clients and most of my business is referral. I do take time off. I do take care of myself. I also have help in serving the client. Yes I am relatively new, yes I have much to learn. The whole reason for this post was to see where the rest of you are with this same quandry. I so appreciate the honest feed back.

Speaking of spell check how do I do that with Active Rain?

Anna--

I agree, investing in current and repeat clients is worth so much more than all the "techniques" used to garner new clients. Study after study shows that client retention is much, much less expensive than creating new ones... Now, if some of the cell phone companies and other
providers" would learn that lesson and stop treating their existing clients as if they didn't matter!

I agree caring about your customers makes you have better retention. It is critical you DO have a line / boundaries but you can care for them while crossing the line of caring on a personal level and still have boundaries. Unlike most big companies, we have the opportunity to make the calls and to give of ourselves to the extent that feels right to us.

SEP

2008

bullshit

By big companies, I do not mean real estate companies, I mean big huge corporations, realtors have small businesses and as small business owners we can make decisions on a case by case personal basis. If I am an exec with a big corp like Microsoft for instance I may not be able to make those calls like I can as a small business owner.--Hope that clarifies what I meant, by we I mean realtors.

My husband and I are both Realtors and I am the one who usually gets personally attached and involved and he tends to pull me back when I would go to far on the giving end for our clients. I have, however, gone through a whole library of books with an elderly client so they could donate them because they were moving out of the country and couldn't move the extra 50 boxes of books. And I found a library in need to give them to, arranged to have them picked up and helped them get loaded into the trucks. I was the only person he trusted to help him with patience and love and he needed someone to hear the stories of his beloved books. I think that is part of being a good agent, homes are a personal business.

Very interesting...

As I started reading your post I was inline with the feelings and sentiments that was behind the post itself. I know that I am the sort that gets emotionally involved, I care and I give 110% and then some of myself when working with a client. Normally my involvement brings me into alot of extra time listening and resolving, extra footwork running around so I can get things where they need to be, check up on things and heck I have even been known to get my husband over to clean up the landscaping on a place,..cleaning up a property for the walk through, installing a mailbox after the sale, shmoozing a home inspector into fixing a faulty heating transfer unit so my buyer can be in the home on time, and even babysitting the kiddies while my clients view property. I also spend a whole heck of alot of time troubleshooting and even doing alot of my cobroker's work that they fail to want to undertake just to make everyone happy in the end. I know for sure there are alot of agents who say why do you all that?!, and I have to say, quite simply, it's because when the end result is some very happy people, then I am a very happy person as well.

Anyhow what I did learn from this post, is that we all do have a different concept of where that proverbial line lays. I thought that I was that renegade agent diving, sprinting and strong arming my way over that proverbial line but in reading some of the things you did I see my line is still conservative compared to yours (whew). My family does manage to get involved from time to time in my business, and I have been known to tote my six year old on some showings, of course only with customers I knew well and I knew they definately would not have an issue with having him along for the ride,..as well I tend to work late, take those late night calls, but also I have come to make a few lines that I do adhere to more often than not. My family has to make it to the top of my list, I learned quickly to allow a clients needs to come before my own families is a line I just won't cross and that family vacation you mentioned,..well sometimes we don't realize that our time and full attention is a top priority need. I learned one night at my house on "Movie Night" where my spouse, children and I were curled up ready to watch a movie and the phone rang and my three children gave me a look that layed the line firmly down,..I realized then that I had interrupted that time just one too many times and I finally understood that those 2 hours that I spend watching a movie with my family is uninterruptable. It is important to them and that is exactly what the answering service was for. If I we cut into our family time, specially a vacation, with someone elses needs the repurcussions may not be instant but I am not willing to risk hearing about them years later. When it's family time, especially vacation worthy, I make sure there is another agent available who I trust will make themselves available when needed in my place. Also as for the late night calls I also will monitor them and if it falls at dinner time, or homework time, I will let them go to voicemail and retrieve them and return if necessary when the kids have been settled in for the night.

This kind of continues with that theme when it comes to making myself legally vulnerable. No matter how compassionate you are if you put your family's finances at risk for a client, I think it really is an area needing review.

I am not criticising you, please understand that, I admire you and respect what you bring to the job, I just worry a bit about you as well because I think we are very similar people and through trial and error I have come to recognize some lines that need to be there especially when it comes to those silent members in our life who don't point out how important a line needs to be when it comes to their often unvoiced needs. I am not just talking about the kiddies and spouses but also our inner sanity. If we run ourselves ragged and let the boundaries of our personal life and needs be invaded too easily, we can become less productive and surely less compassionate and in the end that can't be good for anyone.

I'm for defining our own individual lines, but thoughtfully.

Best Regards

Lisa

SEP

2008

Anna - If sometimes crossing that invisible line without compromising yourself is part of what the Keller Williams culture it, I'd be proud to be part of it. Great post.

Wow! What a friend you must be.

Great topic and very good blog. You are certainly dedicated to your craft and I respect that. I, as do many other caring Realtors, go above and beyond the call of duty to help my clients. I have arranged for a hotel for my client and her dog and bird just as they were rolling into town and found out that they could not get into the house because the sellers had turned the electricity off and not told anyone (she was renting from them prior to closing), babysat spiders, had a client sleep at my house because I was concerned that she might not feel safe staying in a hotel in a strange town, and on and on. I do what my conscience tells me to do and I try to help my fellow Realtors as well, whether or not they are in my office.

Keep up the good work but also be careful.

I have to say that this really is in a way part of the KW culture. Not that everyone is comfortable with what I am comfortable to do, but the" Win Win or no Deal "part of the culture, and "the seek to understand first" all make it so we are more likely to operate that way. I think also the fact that most of our brokers really feel our business belongs to US and not our broker. That too make most of us being willing to step up and help others maybe more than others.

SEP

2008

I am the same way and often go back and forth in regards to whether or not I am doing the right thing. I feel like I always maintain a professional demeanor as I may be hauling wood away or moving furniture and packing boxes in a suit or as another lady meniotned above, crying in my "phone" voice" with a client who has come upon hard times. I think each situation is different and as you mentioned, you learn from some that don't have a good outcome but given a different client and the same situation.... you may do it all over again. I hear loud and clear what some of the agents have said about the liability and risk factors and I do take head. However, my faith in God allows me to take some risks because I know his will shall be done and in the end it will all wash out. THank you for your inpiring blog and you have my vote to keep on doing what you're doing as I will. God bless.

Thank you, You brought up something I had not considered. Yes faith. I had not really thought about that being a part of the reason I operate like I do, but it is a big part of it for me too. I feel that I must follow my conscience when dealing with clients.

SEP

2008

*Agreeing to be a client's power of atty

I have done this on a couple of occasions.

OCT

2008

Anna,

I have so much respect for you and the way your handle your business. It is awesome to see you sharing your persepctive in this public forum. Keep it up!

Nothing but the best,

Theresa

OCT

2008

Anna you are doing an exceptional job and an inspiration to many. Keep up the great work!

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