The Four Horsemen of Deals Dead
My wife likes to joke that all I do for my job is talk to people. "I hear you in there yucking it up all day..." So maybe there is always an element of the truth in jest, but an aspect of these conversations that she does not take into consideration is the near-constant battle I fight fending deals from The Four Horsemen; Delay, Indecision, Unfounded Expertise and The Unreasonable Pursuit of Perfection. When these vigilantes appear over the horizon of any real estate transaction, having a powerful defense can turn them away and save even the most vulnerable purchase or refinance.
The enemies of our real estate transactions can be real persons; buyers, sellers, family members, agents, lenders, underwriters, appraisers --- you name it. But also, and more often, the real villains can be the thoughts and actions (or inactions) of those same parties. When this is the case, I have observed over my career that the destructive forces loosely fall into four categories:
Delay
There it is in black and white, written into our contracts: "Time is of the essence..." Delay, intentional or head-in-the-clouds inadvertent, is a huge risk to all real estate transactions. Providing necessary documents or signatures a day (or a week...) late may seem like no big deal at the time, but the real estate clock is always ticking. In a sales capacity, we walk a fine line. Trust us, we don't want to be pushy. But you know what we want even less than being a backbreaker? The conversation about the additional costs incurred due to the seemingly innocuous delay you introduced when you thought you had all the time in the world. Oh, and those dates written into your contract? The ones by which you must perform? You may have gotten lucky before and you may get lucky again, but know that eventually your roulette game of missing contractual dates will land upon a counterparty reaper who will cut you no slack. And when the bell tolls that time, it will toll for thee.
Indecision
Teddy Roosevelt famously said, "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing. And the worst thing you can do is nothing." I would agree that when you engage in the serious business of real estate buying, selling or refinancing, you should do so with a firm understanding that you WILL be required to make important decisions. Yes, you can entrust your agents to help, but you cannot stay on the white picket fence forever. A trait I've noticed among my most successful clients? Resolve. When decisions are made, they are made AND done. Progress can then be made from that point. But to not decide, you must delay and if you do, you will hear the hooves of the Horsemen just the same.
Expertise, Unfounded
The internet is a wonderful thing. But as I write this today, there are otherwise smart people who, in the middle of a global pandemic that's killed 600K+ Americans to date, are taking medications their very own doctors would implore them not to take. If some of our clients would be willing to bet their own health they can outsmart their medical doctors do we seriously think, for a minute, that they're not also "doing their research" about their transaction, their property and their loan? Now, I am all for seeking an education on all matters important. Knowledge gained in this manner has the benefit of making one conversant with the pros --- it allows us to communicate at a higher level and this, in turn, earns us respect and benefits us with the return of more precise answers. But I could read a thousand web pages about replacing my water heater. I could watch a hundred videos on how to do it. Yet make no mistake that if I attempted to actually perform the replacement I would be at great risk of making mistakes and getting in well over my head the instant something didn't go to plan. Because the simple fact is, unless and until I have performed dozens and maybe hundreds of water heater replacements, the seasoned plumber is the guy/gal with the right training, the right tools, the right tricks, the right intuition and the right finishing touches. OK, you say, "I've hired a pro but I don't really trust that person." Sorry, but the burden is still on you. Make another and a better decision. Without delay.
The Unreasonable Pursuit of Perfection
It is my opinion that if you asked any sizeable group of even the very best real estate professionals what percentage of all of their deals go absolutely perfectly, the number would be very small. Sure, you'd get some sporadic total success stories, but the vast majority of closed deals would have instead come with their expected twists and turns, drama and excitement. Because real estate transactions are inherently complex, it's important to embrace an attitude of "controlling what you can control" and being flexible in the face of the factors you cannot control. Buyer, sellers and homeowners who have an unreasonable expectation of perfection or who demand that the universe bends to their will are often setting themselves up for failure. Sure, we should all strive for the best and we should make every effort to promote that outcome, but when things do not go our way, most often it is not personal. It is also not the end of the earth. Can we adapt, adjust our sails and keep the greater goals intact? If we can avoid letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, almost always the answer is, "Yes!"
If you are a consumer looking to buy, sell or refinance real estate, there are many, worthwhile steps you can take to help your cause. There are also a few surefire methods of self-sabotage, as above. The best of us professionals work to impart our knowledge and experience to achieve the outcome for which we are hired and if you one day hear something along the lines of, "I understand that's what you've heard or read, but that's not the way this will play out and it's time to decide what you'd like to do, even if it doesn't seem entirely ideal..." This is not some long-winded way to hear ourselves talk for the better part of the day, but instead to send a concise signal to the sixteen galloping hooves that they are not welcome here and it's time for them to turn back. You may not hear them, but we do.
Still they ride,
Rob Spinosa
SVP of Mortgage Lending
Guaranteed Rate
NMLS: 22343
Cell/Text: 415-367-5959
rob.spinosa@rate.com
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*The views and opinions expressed on this site about work-related matters are my own, have not been reviewed or approved by Guaranteed Rate and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Guaranteed Rate. In no way do I commit Guaranteed Rate to any position on any matter or issue without the express prior written consent of Guaranteed Rate's Human Resources Department.
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