Realtors are people too. We have feelings. We laugh and cry,
just like everyone else. We hurt and we bleed. And we get angry too. Usually because we’ve been hurt.
It’s January 2016, and I’m now entering my ninth year as a Real Estate Agent. I’ve managed to earn a decent income, and still have time to do some of the things I really love to do. Not that I don’t love real estate. But I’m like a lot of people: I’d really love it if I didn’t have to work at all! If I could just write songs, perform in theatre, film, and television as an actress, and travel the world without worrying about money, I’d be really happy. Not that I’m not happy now. I am. I’m grateful for the success I’ve had with my job as a Realtor. And I’m grateful for all of the loyal clients I’ve had, and the repeat business!
But not all people are loyal, and sometimes I get hurt. Some people lie and those people hurt me too (Usually the ones who aren’t loyal are also the ones who lie). And some people are just plain mean, and they hurt me too. Because I’m not just a “sales person” out for a commission, I have feelings!
I’ve read all kinds of posts on-line about how people aren’t happy with their Realtor, or how their Realtor cheated them, or how their Realtor lied to them. However, I rarely see anything about how potential buyers and sellers lie (sometimes by omission) to the real estate agent who is working faithfully on their behalf.
Case in point: I had a tenant in one of my rental homes, we’ll call her Dee. When Dee became my tenant two years ago, she said she would be buying a home in the future, and I said I would love to be her Realtor. Dee said, “great.” So, when Dee approached me last summer about the possibility of buying my rental property, I wasn’t surprised. At the time, my rental property needed a new central heat/air unit as well as some other repairs, but Dee encouraged me to hold off, because she said she would want to buy my property “as is.” In July, Dee made me a low-ball offer on my Inglewood rental property, and I said, "I don’t think I’m willing to sell that low; but how about if I take you and your husband out to show you a few houses? Maybe you’ll find another home that you’ll like better?” I ran comps for Dee to show her home values in East Nashville and I spent an afternoon taking Dee and her husband around to look at five homes in their desired neighborhood. They fell in love with the first home I showed them. However, they said that they would not be ready to buy for a few months. I said, “great, just let me know when you want to start looking again.” Dee said, “we’ll keep you posted.” I said, “In the meantime, I’ll replace the heat/air unit on the rental property.” I thought the rapport was great, and due to several e-mails and conversations, I thought that Dee and her husband would be buying their next home with me as their Buyer’s Agent.
Because I don’t like to be a pushy salesperson, I waited a couple of months to address the subject again. I actually ran into Dee in a coffee shop in early October and she told me that they were “just about ready to start looking, and they’d let me know in a couple of weeks!” I said, “great!”
Less than two weeks later, I get an e-mail from Dee. It says: “Man, things move fast around here! We went out to look at houses once, put in one offer and had it accepted, so this is our official notice that we will be ending our lease.....”
I was shocked and hurt to learn that I was obviously not their Buyer’s Agent. Even more shocked and hurt to learn that the home they bought in October (when they went out “to look at houses once”) was the very first home I had shown them in July! (I found this out by searching the tax record after closing, since Dee only gave me a P.O. box as a forwarding address to get her rental security deposit back).
As a “sales person,” I’m well aware that I won’t make every sale. I’m also aware that some buyers don’t realize that when Realtors spend time doing searches for homes on your behalf and then spend time showing you homes, they actually don’t make a dime until you close on the purchase of your home. However, some buyers do know that they are leading you on and they lie to save face, or they lie by not communicating honestly. As a Realtor, I pride myself on having integrity and dealing honestly with every person I come in contact with. And, as a person, I expect honesty in return.
