Well, I have got to tell you, in the thirteen years that I have been a real estate attorney in Massachusetts, I have learned a lot about my business. One of the things that I have learned is that you need to work as a team with the Realtor and the loan officer. Here are some things that I DO NOT DO because Realtors hate it so:
1. I never point fingers at other members of the team when something goes wrong. There was a time in my career when I viewed the Realtor's role like that of a used car salesperson. I had a poor view of the hard work that Realtors put into these transactions and in short - I thought I was more informed and more valuable to the client. If I thougha Realtor made a mistake, I would blame them. This was inmatuer and unprofessional on my part. I learned the hard way how these remarks can come back to bite you. Everyone starts out as a newbie, everyone makes mistakes. But, not everyone grows to be a successful professional and not everyone builds long lasting professional relationships. Instead of pointing fingers I pick up the phone, ask questions and offer my perspective in a professional manner that saves everyone face in front of our client.
2. I never renegotiate the transaction after a Realtor has made a deal. This is a sophomoric approach to contract review in my opinion. Attorneys who act like they have a better handle on the situation than the Realtor who has had their finger on the pulse of the transaction for two months also deserve a bad name. This makes no sense. Realtors spend a lot of time negotiating these transactions. Unbeknownst to the attorney, the fact that a rose bush is staying or leaving could be highly significant, depending upon how the negotiations got to that point. I do not second guess the importance of any term. I ask questions, but I do not undermine the negotiations that took place long before I came into the picture!
3. I do not fail to communicate.I use conference calls and group emails to make sure that there are no misunderstandings. I think that attorneys who do not return calls or who sit on contracts do their clients a disservice. If something is wrong I want everyone to hear what i a saying no "he said, she said" - everyone gets the same information and they get it quickly.
If you are a MA Realtor looking for an attorney who "gets it", call me for your next transaction.
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