Stand up FOR your client by standing up TO them

I've just let a listing expire and watching agents scramble to grab the listing is actually quite humorous.  I don't want this listing, and haven't wanted it for some time.  Why?  Because I was too passive with the seller and didn't stand up for myself.  Allow me to explain:

While I didn't " buy" this listing, the seller asked me to list at a bit higher than I should--but at the time we weren't that far off.  But the market is changing, is it not?  A few months go by and a few offers have come in.  Even if the offer was very close to the asking price, the seller would counter back at full price, against my advice.  I explained, showed comps, explained again and basically told him that this is the best he is going to do.  We get an offer at the actual market value.  I beg seller to take the offer or at least counter back--reasonably.  He refuses, convinced the house is worth full asking price.  Fast forward a few months--The offers have stopped coming in, and showings have stopped as well.  As the expiration date approached, I tried to get the seller to bring the price down as the value of the home was now well below even the first offer he rejected.  Seller refuses.  So I let the listing expire.

I did my seller a disservice by not cancelling the listing when he started rejecting offers.  I did my seller a disservice by not insisting he drop the price, under threat of my cancelling the listing.  And, yes, I did my seller a disservice by taking the listing in the first place--Unreasonable sellers damage the market, they damage themselves and they damage the agent who takes their listing.  By being passive and letting myself get roped into carrying this listing I also wasted my time, money and energy.  And now that the listing is gone, I feel a sense of relief. 

Good luck to the next agent who gets this one!  I know we've all had to deal with unreasonable sellers, or sellers that don't understand that values can change over time.  We can educate them, but there will be times when it is best to walk away--Times when the seller refuses to let you sell their property. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to fire another client.