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"I'm Your Friend, So I'll be Honest with you...!"

Reblogger Blatt + Cutino
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty CalBRE #01248430

Original content by Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn

Property ShopCouldn't sleep last night. Got up, turned on the TV, flipped thru channels until I landed on HGTV. When I can't sleep, HGTV tends to be my go-to channel since they usually have SOMETHING on besides "paid programming."

Anyway, I got my first taste of The Property Shop with real estate goddess Tatiana. I'd heard that she wasn't exactly the warmest, fuzziest real estate broker on the planet... and, indeed, I doubt she's often accused of being a little ray of sunshine.

This particular show's overall theme was the difficulty of working with friends and family. Okay, fine. You have my attention since that's sorta what I preach about all day long.

The first storyline has Tatiana reluctantly listing an overimproved loft in the 'hood. For a friend. Said friend had been trying to sell the loft for a year, priced at $900,000. No luck. Location sucks.

Tatiana comes in and says two things that made me LOL.

#1 - "Since you're my friend, I'll be honest with you. You're overpriced!"

#2 - "Since you're my friend, I'll list it for you at $895,000, but if it doesn't sell, we'll have to... blah blah blah."

Call me fussy, but since when is "friendship" a requirement for honesty in a real estate transaction? And since when do friends let friends overprice because they're friends?

Maybe I'm just punchy from lack of sleep...

Jennifer Allan, GRI

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Amanda Christiansen
Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843 - Fort Wayne, IN
Christiansen Group Realty

Maybe she was just using that to soften the blow?  I'm with you, I don't need to be friends with you to be honest. 

Nov 22, 2009 11:44 PM
Mary Strang
Viroqua, WI

IMO, agents should avoid using a phase "I'll be honest" as it right away comes across as you generally are dishonest.

Nov 22, 2009 11:49 PM