What I Learned From a Recent Client (& why it could make a difference for you)
I love learning! Unlike some people, I actually look forward to attending the continuing education classes for my real estate license and I take full advantage of every training opportunity I can. How about you? Are you a lifelong learner too?
Well, today I thought I would share what I learned recently from one of my awesome clients.
The day started out like any other, with a few client appointments… One in particular was with a young couple who were relocating into town for the wife’s job. We were to meet in the office at 1pm and then go see their short list of homes. Nothing out of the ordinary…. We had been communicating for the last month via email, texting and yes we even spoke on the phone
I knew where they wanted to live (after sharing with them maps and links to local places I thought they’d enjoy), what style of home they preferred, their desired yard size, etc… everything that they wanted in their dream home in their new town! When they arrived, we reviewed their criteria, I had my lender there to meet them and get their lending and budget solidified, reviewed the homes we were going to see and out the door we went… house shopping!
Now I always like to throw in some fun, b/c I know that buying a home can be nerve-racking, so I brought along drinks and snacks in a cooler, brought a little booklet of some neat places they could explore while in town… and I gave them a notepad & paper so they could capture their thoughts on every house as we went from home to home… my usual.
Well, we finished the jam-packed day and they wanted to write an offer on one spectacular home they had seen. So I pulled up the recently sold homes similar to that one and it was obvious to me that it was priced spot on value, or perhaps a little under… I told them it may become a multiple offer situation and we needed to go for it with all they had if they really wanted to get it! Long story short, they took my advice to submit the offer with full price and add an escalation clause which said they would increase their offer to beat any other offer by $100 up to a certain price point. At my suggestion, they also wrote a personal letter to the seller, which I’ve learned from being on the listing side, that most sellers appreciate.
I know you’re dying to know…. did they get their dream house? Answer: YESS!!
They were beyond excited they had “won” the house (b/c there had been one other offer that had been submitted)! They’ve since settled in and are loving exploring their new town and making it theirs!
So what did I learn from this awesome couple? They told me that while they were talking with me about their move here, that they had also been talking with two other agents b/c they were scared to be going to a new place and knowing no one, so they felt like they needed to do their due diligence in selecting just the right agent. They went on to tell me that they chose me b/c they could feel my sincerity in wanting to share about my amazing area, sincerity in wanting to take my time and be sure that I clearly understood each of their criteria, sincerity in becoming their realtor for life. At the closing, one of their parents had flown in to help them move in and I was told that they would like me to help them find a home here, as they would be retiring within 6 months….. I was sooo excited to continue helping this precious family reunite in my town.
So what did I learn? I learned the value of the way I run my business and my life: deal with everyone sincerely and communicate exceptionally, keeping at the forefront of my mind, my clients’ desires. It hit me in such a powerful way how truly blessed I am to LOVEEE my job! I get to help so many people with something as important as that place they call home!
As a friend often says, “I love what I do and I hope you do too!” I hope you love your job.. and if you don’t I encourage you to think about what you might prefer to do over what you’re doing now. It’s a neat life to do everyday something that you truly enjoy and are good at. I’m always here to grab a coffee or something and catch up! Until next time, make the most of this precious day!
