06/06/2026
π What's the story?
One of the things I wish more people knew about real estate is that closing tables are full of stories you'll never see in the listing photos.
This photo was taken about 30 minutes after people in it, whose lives are now intertwined, met each other for the very first time.
The seller has been living and working in the United States since 2011. But a job relocation is taking him back to Canada where he'll be closer to family and starting a new chapter. As we sat around the closing table, he talked about the things he'll miss about living here and the things he's looking forward to about going home.
The buyers, meanwhile, were soaking up every bit of first-time-homeowner excitement. They're already making plans for that big composite deck out back and talking about all the ways they'll use it once they move in.
What struck me as we sat around the table was that nobody was sad to be there.
Everyone was exactly where they wanted to be.
One person was getting the opportunity to return home. Two others were getting the opportunity to create one.
And for about an hour, all of those stories intersected around one conference table.
That's what you're really looking at in this photo.