Another Monday and various things are taking up brain space in my mind. This week's Monday Miscellany thoughts surround teamwork, family and offers.
Teamwork. Every real estate professional is both a competitor and coworker with every other real estate professional. We compete for business, but we also have to work together as members of teams when getting our clients to the closing table. Also, at any time agents join and depart from brokerages, so someone who used to work elsewhere could be working along side us at any time.
Which is why, in my opinion, we should all be cordial, pleasant and helpful to each other. It doesn't cost anything to behave in a "do unto others" method and it could result in huge benefits. This week I asked another agent to explain a buyer-agent fee that was in his private agent remarks. I had already asked my broker, who didn't know and who asked me to reach directly out to the agent. The agent responded by comparing me to a for-sale-by-owner "and cheap commissions," with lots of "you" words. It was a very rude and snotty response from someone I hadn't ever heard of or worked with before. I did wind up putting in an offer, which unfortunately didn't work out, but we could have been on the same team if that deal moved forward. I let my broker know to put this person on the "do not recruit" list. The agent's attitude was so unnecessary. Kindness and a sense of teamwork goes a long way in every aspect of our lives.
Thoughts on family. With four sons between my husband and I, and with our own siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, parents and the like, holidays have often been full of noise and life. Easter gatherings would include baskets and chocolate bunnies, with tons of food and conversation. Life does go in circles, and some day the house may be like that again. But this year, with deaths and distances keeping many apart, Easter was quiet. My husband, me and one adult son. It was of course still a wonderful day with delicious food, conversation and togetherness. For me, family is the most important thing in our lives. Spending time doing normal things or fun things, it's the time together that makes any holiday (or really, any day) special.
Making offers on homes. There is no way to know exactly what a seller will accept for their home, with the exception of the listing price of course. When making offers on homes, there are so many factors to take into consideration. What is the market like? Is it a seller's market with homes getting scooped up in a day or so? Is it a balanced or buyer's market where it's okay to take some time between the viewing of a home and the submission of an offer? Is the home priced well for the market, or is it over or under priced? What have comparable homes been selling for? Is the home at the top of a buyer's price range, or is there wiggle room? How badly do the buyers want the home? How badly might the sellers want to sell?
Often, a buyer will place an offer and the seller will counter-offer. The sellers and buyers might negotiate back and forth a few times (or many times) before either coming together and agreeing on a deal or moving along to look for the next house or buyer. Sometimes, the very best possible offer is placed and the buyers lose out to someone with a higher, stronger, cash offer. And sometimes, not as often as the other scenarios, an offer is placed and accepted with no negotiation. This week I had one like that. My buyers put together a solid offer, we presented it, and the sellers accepted it. It's a wonderful call to make when you can say to your buyer "the sellers accepted your offer as is."
My brain is relatively quiet this morning, and those are the only thoughts that are spinning around my head at the moment. So with that, I wish you a wonderful week!
Originally published at thehousekat.com.
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