10/28/2024
I must admit that I have recently struggled with my relevance as a Realtor. With so many changes in our industry and the easy access to listings on-line, I have asked myself "what do they need me for?" Then over the weekend I showed a house to some buyers. They were so excited to see it. The photos on-line were fantastic, it was in the "perfect area", it had "everything they were looking for". When we got there, I must admit it was a really lovely home but while they were looking at all the "cool stuff" I was looking at it through the eyes of 25 years in my field of expertise. They saw the lovely landscaping - I noticed immediately that the home was below street level, which almost always means drainage issues. While they admired the hardwood floors, I was noticing the cracks in the doorways and ceiling. While they were excited about the big backyard, I was noticing the 5ft deep concrete drainage ditch that ran the full length of the yard. There were so many more issues that needed to be considered, some could have been repaired, others could not, but the biggest one was the price. The home was priced well above market value - especially given its condition. After we looked at the home and they told me all the reasons they loved it I took a deep breath and told them what I had seen. Ultimately, the decision was theirs but they listened to what I had to say and in the end they agreed with my assessment. They trusted my professional opinion and were grateful that I was honest enough not to let them walk into something they would have regretted. That is when I remembered why I love being a Realtor.
