Using Sound Judgment is Different From Being Judgmental, Especially When Dealing with Buyers

I don't know about you, but it's not always easy to figure out which flowers are ready to be deadheaded and which are babies. In the past, I've felt pangs of guilt after I've snapped off a flower head believing it was dead, only to discover after the flower was in my hand that it was a new baby trying to emerge from its bud, and I had snatched away its life.

Many new flowers resemble those that are spent. It's hard to tell the difference. It's better to let them be for a while to see if they open up into a new flower.

And it's the same way with people. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes between a bona fide buyer and an unqualified buyer. As agents, we can be quick to judge because buyers might dress a certain way, drive a certain car, live in a particular neighborhood, speak in a different manner, suggest certain price points or otherwise give the appearance that they are not really a buyer.

I've learned long ago that immediate judgment should be reserved, although I can't say it's not tempting at times to jump to conclusions, yet I absolutely refuse to go down the road. Because you never know. Some real estate agents are extremely judgmental, and it typically comes back to bite them.

When a buyer contacted me about buying investments, she was shocked that I picked up the phone within seconds of receiving her email and asked if I could help her. She was asking about buying rentals in a Sacramento neighborhood that has watched values fall over the years -- an area of town where many agents refuse to work. I had no such reservations. All areas are the same to me. It's real estate.

One associate asked me if I was wasting my time because she would never work with a buyer who was looking below prices of $200,000. When did we become so choosy and snooty about selling real estate, I wondered. What difference does it make if you're selling a $40,000 house or a $1.4 million-dollar home?

Maybe I won't earn a big commission check, but I'll be performing a service, one that I am paid to perform over and over. That was my thoughts. Well, yesterday this client asked me if I would also consider working with her loan officer as he wants to buy investments, too.

Using sound judgment is different from being judgmental. I suspect we can all learn to be less judgmental.

Photo: Big Stock Photo

The Short Sale, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming from Archer Ellison in January 2009