Real Estate Bullies and Snotties be gone!

Today is "pink shirt day" in honour of banishing bullies here in my corner of the world!  Aiding that message today I shall blog about who you do and don't want to be known as in the circle of real estate professionals (or any circle for that matter!)

Years ago, when first starting in this profession, I can remember calling some of the veteran Realtors to book a showing or discuss an offer.  I remember with clarity some of the nasty retorts I received from a few bullies practicing in our area:  "That offer is not worth the paper its written on!"  "Did you READ the listing?"  I won't bore you or enliven them with more press; you get the idea. 

Then we have the the snotties, those Realtors dripping with disdain about anyone who is not a client they're hoping to get.  There is nothing the snotties don't know or haven't done.  The snotties have never had a deal go sideways or made a clerical error.  The snotties have never dealt with fickle clients.  The snotties don't have any human experiences the rest of the Realtors seem to encounter on a regular basis!  Ha!

As you can imagine...any Realtor falling into the two categories above does not solicit warm and fuzzy feelings of cooperation.  And, if they think they're working in the best interest of their clients OR their wallets, they're sadly deluded.  What they are doing is leaving a lot of business on the table.  Who in their right mind would want to deal with overbearing, pretentious dipsticks?

Now, when I entered real estate I knew there were a lot of "type A" personalities in the business.  I just didn't think A stood for a**hole.

Bullies and snotties of the world be gone!  Life is way too short to listen to your self important drivel!

Thankfully these num-nuts are far overshadowed by delightful and humble Realtors I deal with.  I remember with equal clarity these fine veterans who were kind mentors and helped me if I needed something when starting out.  These characters are fun and fair and fine -- and you want to do as much business with them as possible!

We don't all have to hold hands singing Kumbaya together but professional kindness and courtesy takes exactly as much time as being rude and short tempered.

Be that great mentor and helper to those newer at anything than you.  This is the true measure of success.  Look out for your colleagues and friends; the return on that investment is priceless.

If you have to eat a frog, there's no sense in staring at it all day.

"If you have to eat a frog, there's no sense in staring at it all day."  This was a great line Floyd Wickman used in a real estate training course I took along the way entitled "Sweat Hogs!"  He was referring to tackling the unpleasant aspects of our lives that need to be dealt with -- the awkward phone call, telling someone bad news, dealing with unwieldy situations and the like.  His point, of course, is that you're better off doing first what is otherwise just going to overshadow your thoughts anyway.

I don't think any sane person likes to be the bearer of bad news.  (I cannot imagine what doctors go through on this score...)  It is hard to tell someone that their home sale collapsed or that the home they wanted got scooped up by a faster buyer.  It's hard to say an inspection revealed foundation damage or that there is evidence of a grow up; it's hard to let someone know you've discovered a lien on their title.  It's hard to ask for yet another price reduction to get someones home sold...but these big jagged pills we have to swallow are part of the job.  The best we can do is to deliver bad news clearly, kindly and patiently.

In the forewarned is forearmed category in preliminary talks a great Realtor will often go over possible stresses.  But, it's impossible to imagine all the situations that might arise when buying or selling a home.

It is true that it is best to deal with the least pleasant tasks first and clear our heads for other responsibilities of the day.  It is not fair to anyone to procrastinate (okay, you don't break the news on Christmas or birthdays!).   The sooner the issue is tackled, the sooner we can work on a course of action to move forward.

Most importantly in bold caps when delivering bad news should be the news that "I'M HERE TO HELP!"  You don't have to deal with this on your own!  So it is also VERY IMPORTANT that you don't shoot the messenger!  Otherwise...who is gonna help?

As long as you stick together with your Realtor the bad news will pass and a success story will form!  Hang in there.  Keep breathing, it will all work out fine in the end.

It won't cost you a cent to find out.

Year's ago when roaming lost in the West Edmonton Mall I happened into a clothes shop and was admiring a pair of pants. The salesman there gave me one of the best lines I've ever heard: "it won't cost you a cent to try them on!" And I did try them on. And I did buy them. And I did like them! But I was fully prepared to walk by the opportunity until he spoke.

Today I'm speaking to the young people who might think they're too young to buy a home....but they're paying crazy rent prices!

I had lunch today with a dear client I helped to downsize last year -- she went from 13 acre hobby farm to a sweet rancher in town following the death of her husband.

As we sat chatting in Tim Horton's she asked about the market and I conveyed a sentiment I'm often repeating. I wish people would jump into this wonderful time to buy in the North Okanagan while even long term fixed rate mortgages can be had at remarkably good rates and prices are soft for the moment. She talked to me a bit about her grandson who is paying a significant amount of rent for a place in East Hill.

My own son is 22 and I think it's never too soon to think about investing in real estate -- especially in a gorgeous area expecting a 40% growth rate over the next 20 years! (Confirm by Googling CMHC stats.) As I expressed to my friend about her grandson, what most people, especially young people, fail to fully consider is that in BC the most effective way to build wealth tax free is through your principle residence! It is the only way I know of that you can make huge amounts of money in an improving market without a big tax burden. And, if there's one thing I know its that an area like this one is only going to go up over time.

Here's what I say to our young people. It won't cost you a cent to find out if you could qualify to buy a home! And it won't cost you a cent to see if there's anything in your price range that might interest you! There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't at least have a conversation about your future. Research a great Realtor and they will know a great Mortgage expert to meet with you.

I heard another expression that hits the nail on the head: paying rent is like buying a dead horse. Now, I have a rental apartment and I'm deeply thankful for renters! There are times when renting is either the only option or a smart short term option.

Even if you choose to continue to rent, young people, you owe it to yourself to at least know where you stand on buying your own home.

Enough said!