I recently read a story about Japanese soccer fans who stayed after a World Cup match to clean the stadium—not because they made the mess, but because they believed leaving a place better than they found it was simply the right thing to do. This has become the norm for these fans.
I was so impressed by this and thought about how real estate can be much the same. There are times when we step into transactions where communication has broken down, expectations weren't set, details were missed, or problems have been ignored. While it may not be our mess, it becomes our responsibility to help find solutions.
A competent agent doesn't waste time assigning blame to others. Instead, they roll up their sleeves, solve the problems, restore confidence, and keep moving the transaction forward. The goal has not changed, and that is to perform according to the contract and get it to a successful closing.
Professionalism isn't measured by how we handle the easy deals. And, as we all know in this business, most deals are challenging at best. The so-called "easy" deals are far and few between.
How we respond when we're asked to clean up someone else's mess directly impacts the success of a transaction. Many times, we assume the role that another agent "should" be doing. Rather than becoming negative, we can simply take a deep breath, remember the goal, and get the job done.
My grandmother taught me a lesson early on in life that has followed me. That lesson was to leave something better than when we found it. Therefore, in real estate, leave a property, transaction, and the people better than you found them. When we do this, everyone wins.
Comments(13)