Today was one of THOSE days. When I woke up this morning, there should have been a deep-voiced narrator saying; "Like homes in the MLS, these are the "Days of Our Realtors..."
In college, at the University of Kansas, I was always late for my 1 o'clock class because I couldn't miss "Days of Our Lives." Having grown to love the drama surrounding Salem's most interesting families, I escaped into their world one hour at a time. However, the excitement of starring in a real life soap opera is something that I can do without.
My day started with a frantic phone call from a co-op agent about a situation that threatened to derail the transaction and needed my immediate attention. The tone of the agent's voice inferred that an indestructible meteor the size of Arrowhead Stadium was hurtling toward Kansas City and would strike at any second. Yet, this serious problem -- the one threatening to derail the transaction; the one needing my undivided and immediate attention, was resolved by making a couple of quick phone calls.
This afternoon, I received a phone call from an equally distraught but less intense co-op agent, regarding another Earth-shattering disruption to the real estate/closing continuum. Again, a few quick phone calls remedied the situation.
By this evening, the animated phone calls and "urgent" matters were adding up like murders in Cabot Cove and I was Jessica Fletcher. And, while each issue was pressing, the dramatic dialogue was overkill. Every transaction has hiccups. What if we made client calls this way? Would it instill a sense of confidence or sense of incompetence?
I work hard to reassure my clients and colleagues that I am capable of handling problems that arise unexpectedly. Is it too much to expect the same from fellow real estate agents?
Some agents act as if we deal in life and death situations in which seconds count. The reality is that from contract-to-close, real estate transactions can typically take 3-4 weeks to complete. And, according to Steven Covey, not everything that is urgent is important. Conversely, not everything that is important is urgent.
As Realtors we have two choices when dealing with a challenging real estate transaction: panic as if the world is coming to an end or simply find a solution. I prefer the latter. And, I prefer to keep my soap operas on television.
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