Awkward conversations

Sometimes while advising our clients about the best way to achieve their real estate goals, we end up having delicate and potentially awkward conversations. We would love it if every pricing report we provided a prospective seller exceeded what they expected their home to be worth and if every house we entered was photo ready with no checklist of tasks to complete before listing. It would be great if every buyer was optimally qualified to purchase a home that exactly met their search criteria and if their wish list matched the inventory of homes in our area. We all know life isn’t like that. 

Sometimes while advising our clients about the best way to achieve their real estate goals, we end up having delicate and potentially awkward conversations. We would love it if every pricing report we provided a prospective seller exceeded what they expected their home to be worth and if every house we entered was photo ready with no checklist of tasks to complete before listing. It would be great if every buyer was optimally qualified to purchase a home that exactly met their search criteria and if their wish list matched the inventory of homes in our area. We all know life isn’t like that. 

Our clients hire us for our experience and expertise. Hopefully they find us to be honest and ethical and they know we have their best interests in mind with every suggestion we make. When pricing a potential listing, we look carefully at the market data and dig into current buyer trends to formulate our recommendations. This might mean that our pricing suggestion differs from a seller’s expectation. When preparing to market a home, we ensure that the house’s assets are highlighted and its negatives are minimized. Sometimes, we need to suggest that people declutter or deep clean to get the house ready for showings. When first meeting with buyers, we explore their desires, time frames and finances to help craft realistic search parameters. There are times when we have to help clients broaden their criteria to ensure they have options to consider.

No matter the topic, we meet our clients where they are at and provide constructive, actionable information designed with their specific goals in mind. Sometimes our clients aren’t ready to act on our suggestions and that’s ok. Our style isn’t to dictate what needs to be done and we are always open to the idea that perhaps our perspective isn’t the only one.

Buying and selling real estate is a journey and we are with our clients through the entire process, providing guidance at every step of the way.

photo credit: IStock.com/SHAPECHARGE