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It's Business, Not Personal

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX First

Often when it comes time to buy or sell a real estate, individuals or couples will turn to their brother's friend, or their friend's neice - why? Well because he or she is a licensed realtor... not seeing the bigger picture - the purchase or sale of property is often the largest and most important transaction you will ever make. Too often people entrust this important event to a friend of a friend or a family member for fear of offending someone or simply not being able to say no.    

A close friend of mine worked with a realtor for over 2 years looking for a revenue property, without ever making an offer. She would complain to me that she didn't feel like this realtor was working hard enough for them, she didn't feel like this realtor knew exactly what they wanted and was continually showing them properties that didn't suite their needs. I would ask her time and time again, then why don't you choose another agent? Her response time and time again was that their realtor was her mom's best friend and she feared that if there was some bad feelings it would effect her mother's friendship.

I have to say, I wish more people cared about my feelings the way she cared for theirs. I told her that this is business, not personal. What was she sacraficing in order to save face with her mother's friend? Money, time, opportunity to invest in the right property, her future? How much do you sacrafice? 

Truly, it doesn't take a cold and calculating person to make a smart business decision. You can still be a good, kind person and do what is right in a business sense without being a mercenary. Being good to people is important. That does not mean, however, that you subordinate your financial health and well being to appearing nice. If the right thing for her is to get a new, better realtor, she owes it to herself and her financial future to do so. 

Selling a home is serious business. And it is not a vehicle for relationships. It is something some people do but once in their lives, and they owe it to themselves to have the best representation, even if their prior agents were cordial and nice. Huge money is involved, and there are no do-overs once a closing is over. I would say that all people should have a good agent, but good people especially deserve a good agent. That is why we, The Jay Magnussen Real Estate Team, pride ourselves on treating each and every one of our clients like they are the most important person in the world - because they are. What is important to our clients, is equally important to us. We seek to help our cleints to the fullest extent of our capabilities, and being 'nice' while we do so!

Comments (2)

Jerry Cecil
Bloomtree Realty - Prescott, AZ

Nice post.  I think we should all pay attention to this.

Dec 13, 2010 06:45 AM
Lee Ann Canaday
Laguna Beach, CA

So true! 

Dec 13, 2010 07:06 AM