"Something's gotta go wrong, cause I'm feelin way too damn good..." These words from a Nickelback song popped into my head today.
Why is there the lurking sense of "waiting for the other shoe to drop" when things are going well? I witness new buyers or sellers on pins and needles often expecting their transaction to fall apart or something happening to foil their joy in their purchase.
Sometimes we humans have a hard time staying in the moment of joy and excitement and knowing that everything is working out just fine! A friend of mine has a term for when you imagine scenarios that could arise to thwart your joy: "Awfulizing!"
Awfulizing is a terrible condition which can render people helpless and frozen; unable to move forward for fear of the unknown. Or once they've taken the step of having an offer accepted on a home purchase they start to imagine all the faults that will be revealed in their home inspection!
Home inspectors working on behalf of my clients have all endured "the talk" from me about how they communicate their findings. i.e. The inspector says, "the tub and sink in the ensuite need to have new caulking." The client hears, "your ensuite is falling apart and needs immediate repair." So, the inspector might need to phrase it, "you'll need to spend about ten dollars on some caulking around the sink and tub when you have a few minutes." Then the client can relax!
Of course, we want to know about a home and how it works and what it might need. But, bearing in mind the tendency often to expect the worst under stress, communication is everything!
Likewise with lenders, lawyers, Realtors and everyone associated with a real estate transaction -- communication is the key! 99% of clients will NOT assume that no news is good news. They are likely to be awfulizing worst case scenarios!
When you're in the business it is easy for some to discount how urgently clients are waiting to hear news. Consider this, how casual would you be waiting to hear news back on your blood test? Don't leave people waiting. Don't leave my clients waiting unless you want me breathing down your neck!
The vast majority of real estate transactions, when handled by a professional, go exceedingly well. However, the vast amount of air travel does too -- this does not prevent nervous flyers from being nervous!
A little reassurance goes a long way. And, timely communication is crucial to stress management! Make sure you have a strong advocate in your corner!
Why is there the lurking sense of "waiting for the other shoe to drop" when things are going well? I witness new buyers or sellers on pins and needles often expecting their transaction to fall apart or something happening to foil their joy in their purchase.
Sometimes we humans have a hard time staying in the moment of joy and excitement and knowing that everything is working out just fine! A friend of mine has a term for when you imagine scenarios that could arise to thwart your joy: "Awfulizing!"
Awfulizing is a terrible condition which can render people helpless and frozen; unable to move forward for fear of the unknown. Or once they've taken the step of having an offer accepted on a home purchase they start to imagine all the faults that will be revealed in their home inspection!
Home inspectors working on behalf of my clients have all endured "the talk" from me about how they communicate their findings. i.e. The inspector says, "the tub and sink in the ensuite need to have new caulking." The client hears, "your ensuite is falling apart and needs immediate repair." So, the inspector might need to phrase it, "you'll need to spend about ten dollars on some caulking around the sink and tub when you have a few minutes." Then the client can relax!
Of course, we want to know about a home and how it works and what it might need. But, bearing in mind the tendency often to expect the worst under stress, communication is everything!
Likewise with lenders, lawyers, Realtors and everyone associated with a real estate transaction -- communication is the key! 99% of clients will NOT assume that no news is good news. They are likely to be awfulizing worst case scenarios!
When you're in the business it is easy for some to discount how urgently clients are waiting to hear news. Consider this, how casual would you be waiting to hear news back on your blood test? Don't leave people waiting. Don't leave my clients waiting unless you want me breathing down your neck!
The vast majority of real estate transactions, when handled by a professional, go exceedingly well. However, the vast amount of air travel does too -- this does not prevent nervous flyers from being nervous!
A little reassurance goes a long way. And, timely communication is crucial to stress management! Make sure you have a strong advocate in your corner!
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