HUMANS BEFORE HOMEOWNERS
In the midst of an unparalleled housing market that just so happened to take place during a pandemic, I worked with a wide variety of clients that were steadfast to pursue their real estate endeavors….regardless of what was going on in the world. Buying and/or selling real estate during this time brought out the best in some people, and the worst in some. Between scrambling to schedule showings before times are booked out, having to sign COVID waivers prior to each showing, suiting up like surgeons and navigating highly competitive offer situations …. Tensions ran high and morale ran low at times.
After one of my clients (turned friend) saw a house that seemed to fit all of his needs, he decided to submit an offer. This house was sort of a diamond in the rough; it was very nicely updated although the photos didn’t show it that way, but it was on the market for several months. The listing agent explained to me that the property was under agreement with a buyer who found herself in some financial struggles. The sellers moved forward with this agreement in good faith, and gave the buyer time to get her financial ducks in a row. After several months of waiting, the buyer was ultimately unable to purchase the home. The Sellers were left with a house to sell that had the dreaded stigma of being “on the market for several months”. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.
I explained this scenario to my Buyer client, who was empathetic to the Sellers’ unfortunate situation. Although he could have made an offer well under list price and been able to negotiate quite a bit, he decided that he thought it would be fair to offer what they were asking. His thoughts were, “After all, we’re humans before homeowners…” He didn’t have to say anything else throughout the transaction, but his actions fully represented that statement.
I pride myself in educating my clients throughout the selling or buying process. But more often than not, I also learn something very valuable. Since this experience I remind myself each day that “after all we are humans before homeowners”. It’s a powerful statement that may go against the grain of many during a real estate transaction, especially all the chips are down. It’s a thought worth striving for. I certainly advocate for my clients and support their decisions when it comes to negotiations. Sometimes it just helps to take a step back and remember what home really means to us…
“After all, we’re humans before homeowners...”
