Ask my husband and he'll tell you that I have some good real estate stories. I mean really good. And no one will ever know the parties involved.
I have seen deals (almost) crater over curtains. I have had a Seller storm back into his home because an inspector was taking too long, and threaten to blow up a +$5M deal. I have been held up at gun point.
At least once a week I find myself repeating the phrase, "karma is real and nowhere more so than in real estate."
Homes are close to our hearts. They carry lots of emotions. The process of buying and selling them brings about a flood of emotion that can surface in good ways, and not so good ways.
I have also seen Buyers fall in love and dream big. I have seen Sellers share stories and photos of the memories to which their home was the back drop. And, of course, countless bottles of champagne left with best wishes.
Something wonderful used to happen when houses were bought and sold. Namely Buyers and Sellers, and their agents, and the settlement folks would gather around the closing table for what seemed like hours as paper was processed, insurance policies were finalized and last minute financing details were secured. Stories were told, and information was shared. An emotional torch was passed.
That rarely happens now. In our post-COVID world, Sellers and Buyers sign documents separately, often days apart. Now there is a good chance that the Buyer and Seller never meet. Which makes me a little sad. This thing being exchanged, the thing that will touch the lives of countless children, mothers and fathers, will pass from one family to another without a personal hand off.
But for each side, this emotional, life changing process is still happening. How each side behaves still matters. Too often, buyers who make the lives of the seller painful may feel like they have 'won' at the closing table.
But real estate never sleeps. At some time in the future, having an open line of communication with a seller can be invaluable. You will need to know where the something switch is. And as a Seller, you will want to know when that expensive package delivered to your "old address" has arrived.
If either side gets too beat up in the transaction, none of that can happen. That's not just logistics. That's an emotional thread that gets severed.
My plea is simply this: aim for fairness. This is a big deal for both sides. When good will is preserved, good things happen. Sellers offer to leave outdoor furniture at no charge. Buyers tell their new neighbors how nicely the Sellers maintained their home. Sellers leave the home professionally cleaned, a list of service providers who know the house, a few extra rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom.
And guess what happens when those Sellers move into their new home? It goes really smoothly. Why? Because karma is real.
