Snow flakes are flying north-to-south across the wildly bobbing heads of the daffodils as the mountain wind roars ferociously down the ridge by my home office this morning. Stormy Weather. The scene is both powerful and empowering as a reminder of the life of a REALTOR®, where, even in "stormy weather"we brave the elements to come to a happy closing event. Our impact in the role of problem solver can provide the "shelter" of balance and endurance through the turmoil.
This morning, as the wind howls down the mountain ridges and over craggy cliffs, I'm wondering if, when we approach our work from a "Yin/ Yang" attitude, (see Taijitu, the traditional symbol representing the forces of yin and yang) the stabilizing effect is as powerful as the storm itself. When we
Respond with lightning speed
Listen
Communicate
Offer solutions
we create the safe harbor for the transaction for all of us.
I said in Part I of this series, that if we could do the above successfully, we could stand tall in the eyes of our clients in the ever-changing field of real estate. So I am writing this follow-up article, on this Spring day full of cold winds and pure potential to look at the parts balance and "non-athletic endurance" (both of which are essential in the life of a REALTOR®) play in the seasons of our practice.. ..
For me, real estate professionals "walk through the storm" to the point between two opposite forces, with a challenge to be neither overly controlling nor too disorganized. This is the very crucial spot at which the virtues of personal character, inner strength and integrity work to transform trouble into possibility .
So - Balance, that point, according to Wikipedia, between two opposite forces, (for example, Law and Chaos) that is desirable over one state or the other. Sound familiar? Is that because you and I deal with that particular challenge almost every day? It could be the source of much stress. And some great stories! One of my favorites that highlights the challenge, comes from our own Bill Westel . In his article Almost in the Doghouse on This One Bill tells how two doghouses created tense moments...and how he kept his cool!
BILL'S TALE OF TWO DOGHOUSES
"I wrote up a number of items but did not include on the list two old dog houses in the back yard. The couple did not own dogs and were not planning on getting any in the future so I understood why these were not included. After our offer was accepted, the listing agent, also seeing that the dog houses were in the contract started to figure out how to get rid of them. The day before closing she calls me somewhat relieved and says that she has gotten a neighbor to agree to take them. I inform my clients about this since they had included a removal of debris clause in the contract. All of a sudden the husband decides he wants the doghouses! I explain to him that they are not in the contract and that the listing agent has been working feverishly to get rid of them. He understands but is upset. The morning of closing I get a long email from the husband explaining why he believes he is entitled to the dog houses including a phrase that he actually factored them in to the value of the property when he made the offer to purchase! " 
Bill is a balanced kind of guy. He called and talked with his client,
" explaining what I had gone over the day before and then discussing with him about how nervous he was feeling about closing on this property and some of the issues he and his wife would be facing becoming landlords for the first time in their lives. That took the dog house issue off the table allowing for a smooth end to closing day."
The everyday challenge of the REALTOR ® is to keep Balance alive and well. We are liaisons in a transaction process that minimizes the negatives of both, and comes to a happy close.
Some say this work requires sustained patience.
REALTORS® who "stand tall in the field" need an on-going tolerance of stress .
I call this stamina, the kind of emotional discipline, on a large scale,
it took a whole group or REALTORS® to demonstrate when we came together to help out with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, that makes me feel proud to know members of this community, and the kind of stamina, perhaps less recognized, that real estate professionals practice every day.
Now if that doesn't strike you as virtuous, I can understand, but still I say three cheers for REALTORS® for a very worthy "practice" that could be the very essence of what makes a REALTOR® stand tall in the field....even in stormy weather
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