We all know that it’s best to return a text with a text, a phone call with a call, and an email with an email. Whichever is your customer’s preferred method of communication is the guide. However, when a request is made for the “dreaded” phone call, to what extent will a business go to avoid it?

I recently represented sellers in a real estate transaction in Destin, Florida.  We sold the house fast and everything went along quite smoothly, until the closing. Ummm, until after the closing, that is.  We closed ahead of schedule. On a Friday. The title agent told my seller their check would be delivered by UPS the next day, which was a Saturday. My sellers were living in an apartment complex and did not want to have a check for a large dollar amount sitting outside their door, so stayed home all Saturday waiting for the delivery. It never came. We left phone messages and emailed three parties at the title agency to ask for a tracking number. Alas, no one got back to us.  It was the weekend, remember.

Monday at 9:30 a.m. I called the title office. They still had not returned the calls or emails from my client or me, stating they had been very busy.  I asked the representative to call my sellers, as they did not check their email much.  She sort of apologized and said she would.  When I checked my computer, there was an email from the representative to the sellers.  She had decided not to call. I then received another email telling me the seller had not understood the delivery schedule. This was addressed to me, not the seller.  The second party at the firm decided not to call my seller, either. Finally, a third representative responded to me by text asking if the issue was taken care of. I explained that it had been, but that my customers were displeased.  Then we were dropped. The property had closed, after all.

What a difference it would have made had anyone called my sellers to personally apologize for any misunderstanding. It’s one thing when a simple clarifying request is made. It’s quite another when displeased customers ask specifically for a phone call, and don’t get it.

Sometimes it’s hard to do what’s right – like facing the client with the “dreaded” phone call. But to hear a human voice at the end of the line, talking from the heart, apologizing if necessary, is the difference between stellar performance and just getting by.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-259-0422
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Crestview, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

 

A few days ago I got a phone call from an old client.  He asked me to research a property for sale for him and the adjoining parcel, checking the zoning and sales history.  I did some preliminary investigation and discussed my findings, when he told me he actually had written an offer on this property a month ago with another agent – a friend of his.  I told him he should stick with that agent if he wanted to resubmit an offer. It was the right thing to do. He reluctantly agreed, as he felt the agent was “too busy” for him.  I followed up the next day and he was taking my advice and sticking with that agent.

Would most real estate salespeople have done this? I doubt it.

Here’s another example. I received a phone call from a buyer interested in seeing one of my listings in Santa Rosa Beach.  Quickly in the conversation, he mentioned he had looked at other houses in the area. I asked if he had an “agent”. He said he did not, but that so-and-so had shown him several houses as recently as the day before. I told him to call her. He was surprised, and protested at first, but said he would. I called the agent myself to let her know. She was in shock. She said she had tried to teach the buyer client about loyalty, but he didn’t get it. You see, she would not have been paid for her time had he purchased a home from somebody else.  Realtors work on commission.  The agent told me most agents would not have returned the customer and that she would never forget it.  She said most agents would jump at the chance to show their own listing and disregard the buyer’s previous business relationship.

Being fair, being ethical, that’s more important than making a dollar. It’s called doing the right thing.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-259-0422
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Crestview, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

It’s a seller’s market on the Emerald Coast of Florida.  Real estate agents will tell you they cannot find inventory for their buyers! There are way more buyers than sellers and properties are selling almost instantly.

Instead of telling you how to WIN the house – I am going to tell you how to LOSE.  Use some of the following techniques and be sure to not get your contract accepted:

1. Don’t have a pre-approval or proof of funds letter.  Let the seller and her agent guess if you are qualified, because you told your agent you were.
2. Don’t offer full price or MORE.  Offer low. The seller will counter-offer yours because they don’t have other offers OVER asking (NOT!)
3. Don’t put down a reasonable amount for earnest money. Show them how un-serious you are.
4. Don’t use an “as is” contract.  Ask for the full repair limit, yeah – that will make you competitive.
5. Don’t ask seller to pay only their own closing costs.  Ask them to pay everything for you. They are desperate to sell, right?

I hope you understand my sarcasm. If you are serious about buying a house or condo in Destin or the surrounding towns, don’t fiddle around.  You will likely have ONE SHOT at getting your offer accepted.  Make it strong.

 

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-259-0422
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Crestview, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

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It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-259-0422
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

One of the most confusing terms in real estate is “mortgagor”. Or should I say “confused” terms? It doesn’t follow the logic, seemingly, of similar words. Let’s take a look.

The “grantor” is the seller and “gives” the real estate to the “grantee” (the buyer).

The “lessor” is the landlord and “gives” the lease to the “lessee” (the tenant).

The “optionor” is the giver of an option to buy or lease to the “optionee”.

Are you catching the trend, so far?  But wait!

The “mortgagor” is NOT the giver of the loan.  And the “mortgagee” is not the recipient of the loan – it’s the opposite!

The mortgagor is actually the borrower, the “giver” of the security interest (or collateral) in the real property to the mortgagee (the lender) in return for the borrowed funds.

Got that?

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-259-0422
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Crestview, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

This morning I received a somewhat terse email from an agent asking for a document related to a home sale. The agent represented the buyer and asked me to get a contract addendum to her right away.  Normally, I’m quite fast routing documents, so thought it was odd that I hadn’t already sent it. It’s been one of those weeks. Anyway, I responded quickly and said I would follow up.  I went ahead and found a copy on my phone and sent it to the agent. Since I hadn’t finished my morning coffee, it dawned on me slowly. Hadn’t I already sent it to her and to the title agent a few days ago?  I checked back and there it was – sent to both parties with a subject line.  Can you think of how many people would have re-forwarded the email to show that the task had already been completed? Or said – “I already sent it to you”?  The point would be to make the other party feel like a dummy.  To feel less competent. To show off our better work practices.  I think this is tempting in human nature. I did not. I never said a word. Would you?

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-259-0422
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Crestview, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.