Expectations
"I don’t like it when you give me a list of stuff to do," my teenage son said to me. "You always have these expectations. I DON’T HAVE EXPECTATIONS FOR YOU WHEN I COME HOME!"
"Oh yeah?" I replied. "What do you call dinner and laundry for the last fifteen years? How about needing a ride to baseball practice every day? Aren’t those expectations?"
The truth is families have all kinds of expectations, implied and otherwise, from one another. It’s the main theme that runs through families and marriages. If we didn’t, I suspect none of us would ever take the step of matrimony, much less parenthood. We have a pact with one another, both spoken and unspoken, that we can rely on one another, that we mitigate each other’s shortcomings, that we play to our strengths, and that we work as a team. That being said, verbally listing your expectations to your teenager, is the only way that one can expect the bed to get made, the dog to get fed, the garbage to go out (there I go with the expectations again). Anyone with kids knows that teenagers aren’t very good at intuiting your needs.
Realtors aren’t necessarily good at it either. While our goal is to meet your needs, both spoken and unspoken, unless you are open and honest with us, we will fall short of your expectations. Trusting your Realtor to keep strictly confidential with your personal business is the first and most important expectation. Beyond that, the methodology is a matter of negotiation. How pressed are you for time? How do you prefer to communicate? What information do you need? Are you a numbers person that likes to analyze the market? Do you want to get your home ready to sell on your own or would you prefer I handle every detail of the transaction from staging to window washing? Do you need your Open House guide mapped out on a weekly basis or do you prefer to wing it?
Just as you have expectations of your Realtor, your Realtor has expectations of you. Are you really a committed buyer or seller? Have you connected with a bank or mortgage broker to get qualified and pre-approved? Are you open to suggestions as to how best to market your property? Are you realistic in terms of what your property is worth or what your dollars will buy? Have you begun putting your house in order? Are you communicating your likes and dislikes after viewing properties? Are you respectful of the Realtor’s time restraints and demands? And if something doesn’t meet your expectations, have you let your Realtor know?
Like a marriage, there is a lot of navigating to do as the relationship is formed.
In the end, listing one’s expectations loud and clear makes it easier for everyone involved, prevents miscommunications, avoids hurt feelings, and keeps relationships healthy and intact – even with teenagers.
.
"Oh yeah?" I replied. "What do you call dinner and laundry for the last fifteen years? How about needing a ride to baseball practice every day? Aren’t those expectations?"
The truth is families have all kinds of expectations, implied and otherwise, from one another. It’s the main theme that runs through families and marriages. If we didn’t, I suspect none of us would ever take the step of matrimony, much less parenthood. We have a pact with one another, both spoken and unspoken, that we can rely on one another, that we mitigate each other’s shortcomings, that we play to our strengths, and that we work as a team. That being said, verbally listing your expectations to your teenager, is the only way that one can expect the bed to get made, the dog to get fed, the garbage to go out (there I go with the expectations again). Anyone with kids knows that teenagers aren’t very good at intuiting your needs.
Realtors aren’t necessarily good at it either. While our goal is to meet your needs, both spoken and unspoken, unless you are open and honest with us, we will fall short of your expectations. Trusting your Realtor to keep strictly confidential with your personal business is the first and most important expectation. Beyond that, the methodology is a matter of negotiation. How pressed are you for time? How do you prefer to communicate? What information do you need? Are you a numbers person that likes to analyze the market? Do you want to get your home ready to sell on your own or would you prefer I handle every detail of the transaction from staging to window washing? Do you need your Open House guide mapped out on a weekly basis or do you prefer to wing it?
Just as you have expectations of your Realtor, your Realtor has expectations of you. Are you really a committed buyer or seller? Have you connected with a bank or mortgage broker to get qualified and pre-approved? Are you open to suggestions as to how best to market your property? Are you realistic in terms of what your property is worth or what your dollars will buy? Have you begun putting your house in order? Are you communicating your likes and dislikes after viewing properties? Are you respectful of the Realtor’s time restraints and demands? And if something doesn’t meet your expectations, have you let your Realtor know?
Like a marriage, there is a lot of navigating to do as the relationship is formed.
In the end, listing one’s expectations loud and clear makes it easier for everyone involved, prevents miscommunications, avoids hurt feelings, and keeps relationships healthy and intact – even with teenagers.
.
posted by Julie at
12:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home