“Today I had a closing” is a good thing for a Realtor to say. But today, in addition to a grateful client and a nice paycheck, I got a 2×4 to the head that made me remember what business we’re in.
The house we just closed is stunning but it was harder to sell than most because of it’s price and uniqueness. We had to wait quite a while for just the right buyer. During a troublesome four month contingency period the buyer’s residence sold, fell apart, then sold again. A variety of inspection issues caused delays and expense to my client and so we eagerly awaited the closing day.
The closing should have made me happy, right? Yes, it made me happy in that I was relieved that there was nothing left to go wrong. But when I did my “listing agent visit” right before the buyer’s final walkthrough, I started sobbing. Right there in the empty house.
This house was owned by a dear friend to whom I was introduced by a Realtor (a lovely lady who has since passed away) when my friend and I both moved to this little community in 1995. We were both “career gals from the City” and the Realtor wanted us to make friends, put down roots and happily raise our families in the same way she’d raised hers.
The Realtor who wanted her newly transplanted clients to have friends gave us a gift we’ve enjoyed for eighteen years. An act of caring and kindness I’ll never forget.
I have vivid memories of my now college sophomore son playing in the tub as a two year old with my friend’s now college freshman daughter. The years we wrapped our little girls in velvet and tulle to go see the Nutcracker at Christmas. Birthday, graduation and “just because” parties. The house became ours, too, a place for our memories.
But there was also great sadness which brought us to selling the home. My friend’s dear husband passed away four years ago after a terrible illness. With her daughter heading to college it was time to sell the house.
During my walk-through I was reminded so vividly and personally that Realtors get right into the core of people’s lives. We do things in their homes, the place where the most intimate moments of life are lived. Most clients aren’t friends with whom we are deeply connected, but we must remember that working with people in their homes is an honor never to be taken lightly. I’m humbled today.
Originally published at FoxValleyLiving.
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