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| English: Compulsive hoarding Apartment Deutsch: Wohnküche eines Messies (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Hod Hasharon (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
At the park, I'm simply, 'Nicole, Barney Rubble's Human' (Barney is my dog). I don't advertise in casual conversation while playing with my dog what I do, it feels to pushy in such a playful setting.
Mr. L (I'll call him), an owner (of a gorgeous Doberman, I might add) was talking about agents being 'assholes', 'liars' and out for themselves and a buck. He was going on about meeting with 2 different agents recently and how ignorant they were, disrespectful and rude. I was engaged now. How on earth could 2 different agents be so horrific to the same person? I was starting to wonder if it was him. What did he bring to the table when meeting these agents? After gently stating that I am a Realtor, I apologized on behalf of my profession (which I often do - Thanks Bad Agents - because our job is not hard enough that I have to apologize for strangers as well!) and asked what his purpose in meeting the Agents was. Selling.
Mr. L lives in a home that he would like to sell and move out of the city. To be more specific he's lived in the house, on his own, with his dog for several years, In fact, he bought out his sister after his parents passed on and they were original owners. Gently, I offered that if he was interested, I would love to come take a look at his home, assess its value and we could discuss it from there. No strings, no obligations, no contracts - just a visit and a conversation. I gave him my card and I let it go. A few days later he called.
I of course did my research: current prices in the area, for sales, recently solds and had them all printed up. I ran his property through land titles, checked its size, etc etc - all things a Realtor should do before showing up to have a conversation about a home for potential sale.
I arrived on a nice sunny afternoon, was greeted quite enthusiastically by the dog and upon first glance, I knew what happened. Single man, who's been on his own for a long time, took over the family home after years away. There was a lot of stuff. A lot. Way too much for one person to handle, organize and keep up with. I wouldn't exactly say it was a hording situation, but it was close and it was over whelming. The agents who came before me, threw down a price, called the home disgusting, a mess, that he'd be lucky to get out. I cringed when Mr. L told me all this.
Certainly there were piles of boxes, a lot of 'stuff', rooms that were not really easily accessed but this was still HIS HOME. His castle. His respite and these were all of his things. Who is anyone to disrespect that? I was honest, in a nice way. I told him that in order to sell his home it would take a lot of elbow grease on his part in order to achieve maximum value. That who ever bought it would likely renovate (the entire home was original) and that it would more than likely be a renovator or contractor who purchased. I discussed with him the ranges in price for his area, the process of selling and really let him develop the timeline. It would obviously not be ready in a week or two - but as an Agent - that is really NOT for me to determine - it's up to my Seller.
Over the next month he worked diligently. Hard. So hard. I stopped by on a regular basis to chat, have a coffee, calm him down, cheer him on, bring him boxes, advise him on what ever he had questions about. I found quotes from garbage removal people, sourced out places for donated items, talked about how he could pare down items he had 3, 4 or 5 of (like full service china sets, of which he had 4). It was a lot of talking, coaxing, cheering, calming down and simply being there and listening.
The day he called to tell me it was ready, I was truly and utterly excited as it had been about a week since I had seen it last and for him to say the words 'ready' - I knew he was both exhausted and serious. I walked into an entirely new home. Well, not new, but WoW! I couldn't hide my awe, my amazement, my happiness for him that he was able to go through so much of what he owned and really pare it down. The home sparkled, it shone and it was more than presentable. I was so proud of him - and not in a 'looked down upon' way, but in a , ' You busted your rear and this is great' sort of way.
In the end, we had a few successful open houses and sold it. His final sales price was right in the range that I suggested it would be and he couldn't say enough about how nice I am. How kind. How understanding. How I never forgot about him and would drop coffees by for no reason. He felt respected and valued.
What's the moral of this story? I suppose it's simply this: don't feel less than your Realtor and don't let your Realtor make you feel less.
We are all experts at something and someone who has expertise in an area is truly an expert when they can impart their knowledge to you in a way that makes you feel like you are learning, instead of just listening. Do I know more about selling houses than my clients? Sure - it's what I do, but that doesn't make me a better person. It doesn't give me license to disrespect someone's home and environment. If the agent across from you makes you feel that way - makes you feel stupid, feel awkward, feel apologetic for your things or surroundings - send them out the door and find someone else who's willing to listen, respect and value the honor of selling your home, Being allowed in the door of a potential client IS an honor, if a Realtor doesn't see it that way, there are plenty of us to choose from who do.
Nicole Kreutzberg
Realtor
Sutton West Realty Inc.,
nicole@gtalisted.com
416-388-7384
Proudly Serving The Greater Toronto & Mississauga Area's.
