This is a tough business at times, increasingly so when foreclosure enters a person's life and not much else seems to be working.
"Mom," Sarah (my daughter and real estate business partner) says pointing to the floor, "Those are the coroner's gloves!"
I look across the room at the fluid- and blood-stained carpet and catch a glance of the scene that had played out a couple of days earlier.
The occupant of the house had lost his home to the bank, and had been moving out for several days. Most of the large items were removed, but strewn about the house were books, clothing, shoes, personal items, memorabilia, and assorted clutter. Ironically, the books were largely Christian, with a broad range of themes, but something awful had set upon the house.
Charles (a fictitious name) had days earlier decided to take his life, and following the coroner's office, we were the first to enter the home. Charles had no one else in his life. He had hung on as long as he could to his home, but a lost job and other hardships had intervened, and he was losing everything.
My Dr. John felt Charles' suicide was the last thing he could do that he felt he had control over. Charles it seems had indeed lost every worldly thing of value to him, and a violent suicide seemed the most expedient way to end the tragedy of his life.
Of course, I don't know if he would have faired any better had he not lost his house to foreclosure; no one can know for sure, but his death was a stark reminder of just how emotionally vulnerable our clients can be when life closes in on them and they lose their stability.
As Realtors, Sarah and I left the scene, not in shock, but in sorrow over what had happened because it seemed so senseless, and we also left the scene wondering about our industry.
Are real estate deals and sales and purchases gone bad our fault as Realtors? No, I don't think they are, but do we listen when we hear the cries of our clients when they are approaching dangerous territory? And, should we, or must we listen?
These are perplexing questions, even when we know the outcomes many of our clients face have nothing to do with us. Still, the outcomes can leave us with indelible memories whether we're a part of the cause or not.
So what's the message from These Ladies Who Mean Business? I guess it's a pretty simple message: where there's smoke there's fire. When your former client reaches out to you for advice on the market, asks if it's a good time to sell, is struggling with a divorce or family tragedy, is having obvious financial problems, and seeks your ideas...LISTEN. We all get busy...very busy, but I believe we need to listen to both the tears and words of desperation, and to that still so quiet voice within us.
We, as Realtors, are not every client's safety net, but we are in a keen situation to often see the smoke before the flames! We may not be able to stop our clients from self-destructive behaviors, but we ought to consider the possibility that we might be able to alter the ultimate outcome. Given our specialized real estate and lending knowledge and training, maybe we can recognize the need to alert others that we suspect intervention is needed -- beyond what we can do. Maybe?
Think about this....
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