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"Hey Julie," the text message said, "We have the last remaining spots for the Top 12 Most Trusted Real Estate Agents in your state for 2024." (2025 wasn't important?) "After that you won't get this opportunity again. What would you like to do?" (Nothing.) These automated texts show up more and more frequently thanks to AI bots, but when you drill down on them, they're nothing more than a "pay to play" scheme. I don't know about you, but if I'm paying an institution, OR a media outlet, Or a client to BUY trust, it seems like the very opposite of what I'm supposed to do, which is to EARN trust, not purchase it.
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On Wednesday, I accompanied my husband to the Stanford Law School where he was interviewed regarding an infamous case he's worked on for the better part of 30 years. I don't usually tailgate when it comes to Cliff's appearances, but I'd decided last minute that I needed a "mental-health" day and invited myself along. (The outing didn't disappoint.)
The Standford campus is beautiful, Cliff was absolutely great (I'm biased, but he was), and we were treated to lunch in the faculty dining room after his talk, accompanied by several bright, eager, young law students interested in criminal justice. It was a badly needed reprieve, and the field trip succeeded in altering my outlook and attitude. As a side note, the week had been personally challenging for me, having received an unexpected and fairly scathing reprimand that felt entirely unfair and unwarranted . . . Early Tuesday morning, I had an MRI performed on my right knee. Sadly, the test revealed a meniscus tear, not to mention disintegrating cartilage, as well as significant arthritis around the patella. It's not great news, but at least I now know what I'm dealing with, and more importantly, where I stand. Or more precisely, DON'T stand. (Aka: I'm old!)
Because most of our housing stock in the East Bay is also "old," knowing what you're dealing with is among the most important aspects of buying or selling real estate. However, as we've yet to invent the equivalent of the real estate MRI, there will always be a certain amount of the unknown when wading into the murky waters of homeownership. Consequently, finding a comfort level regarding such risks is no easy feat; you'll need to muster superhuman powers. The text message on my phone simply read, "Julie, can you give me a call so we can talk through a few things?"
This particular client has been a cherished part of my journey for many years, and I've had the joy of witnessing his children — like many of my clients' kids — grow from toddlers into high schoolers, before heading off to college and then down the aisle — an astonishing transformation that seems to happen in the blink of an eye. There’s an incredible bond that forms when you become an extension of a family, even if it's just in an advisory role. If "bad news comes in threes," I've paid my bill. On the heels of Jill leaving, and my mother passing away (thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers), I managed to blow out my right knee last week while at a listing appointment, sending me to the emergency room in searing pain. (That lovely Homeowner insisted on delivering me to Kaiser when it became clear that I couldn't drive myself. Then he stayed with me while I waited nearly two hours to see the doctor in the emergency room.)
I've spent the past several weeks driving back and forth to Sonoma to assist my older sister, Diana, in navigating our mother's final stages of life. Suffering from acute COPD and degenerative heart disease, the goal was to make sure she stayed comfortable until the bitter end. (Kids, don't smoke!)
In a coordinated effort that took my sisters, skilled doctors, empathetic nurses, a respiratory specialist, and experienced hospice care, Ellen passed peacefully, in her sleep, last Saturday, in the wee hours. "We're shopping for Realtors," the woman said, "and my husband and I would like to speak with you and Sarah about representing us." (Thank you, we appreciate that.)
"Tell me a little bit about your house," I said, "your timeline, its condition, how long you've lived there, and most importantly, your expectations. Once we meet and see the home, we'll refine the process." "We bought in 2000," she said, "and we've loved living here, but it's time to move on." Then she added, "We've done our best to take good care of it, but, admittedly, the house is a little 'lived in'." What's the dress code for the wedding?" I asked my friend (who also happens to be the mother of the groom), expecting her to say, "It's casual."
After all, the event is taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico, and I assumed it would be easy and breezy, like the last wedding we attended just a few short weeks ago much closer to home. Truth be told, I was planning on wearing the exact same dress. "It's formal, but you can wear something mid-length if you don't have a floor-length gown," my friend assured me. (I don't have either.) “If your client would go up another $150,000, I think I can get the Seller to sign the agreement," the listing Agent said.
"No doubt," I agreed (We'd gone back and forth for a few days without reaching a meeting of the minds.) "but why should the Buyer bid against himself when there are no other offers at the table?" “Were you able to get any more information from the selling Agent?” the client nervously asked, phoning long distance from her meditative retreat. (This was supposed to be a restful outing for her. It wasn't turning out that way.) “The lack of communication has me wondering if there are very few offers coming in, and we're being played.” (That's a distinct possibility, but leveraging the interest - or lack thereof - IS a listing Agent's job.)
On the other hand, I’ve had Buyers decide not to write because they feared that heavy competition would push the house much further than they were prepared to pay . . . and suddenly, the Sellers are left empty-handed. In other words, there are legitimate reasons a listing Agent holds back such information, as frustrating as that can be for those of us on the buy side. |
AuthorJulie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 19 years and has published more than 850 humorous but always informative, essays on life and real estate. 
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