TOUGH Miami Market

 Good Afternoon,

While things are going very well for me in my new occupation of professional real estate agent, specializing in Miami, I was also hit recently by how cut throat the real estate market is here.

As Dorothy would say:  "We're not in Kansas anymore..."

Or I could say that "I am not in Indiana anymore either."

Working hard to build my business, it isn't rare for me to talk with 100 people a day, most over the phone, connecting buyer's and sellers, and those who've tried to sell, but haven't been able to with other realtors.  These are called "Expireds" as the real estate listing has expired with no buyer.

So, one morning a couple weeks ago, I noticed a new expired here in Coral Gables, near where I live.  The owner answered.  We'll call her Mrs. ReadytoMove.  Her house had expired 3 times, so it had been for sale for a while.  Mrs. R said she would need to wait to meet with me when her daughter was home, when I told her that I had sold a property last week in just 6 days with 4 over-listing-price offers. 

We had scheduled the meeting to be the next day when Mrs. R's daughter could also be there.  I chatted with Mrs. R's daughter just a bit before our meeting.  She told me that she had moved into her Mom's house recently, after they had lost her father and sister last year. 

Wow. what a heartbreak.  Both in the same year?  

I knew this must be an emotional situation that they are going through.  I didn't ask any questions.  I figured it must be painful.

Mrs. R had told me that they were going to begin "interviewing" realtors.  I was one of the first.

Our meeting fell on Cinco de Mayo.  I thought this was PERFECT, because I wanted to make these women smile.  I wanted to make them happy.  I felt that they would remember me through their other meetings by the way that I made them FEEL.  

Isn't that what Maya Angelou says:  "People don't remember what you say, but they remember how you make them feel."

On the day of our meeting, May 5th, the daughter text me and requested to change the time from 6pm to 1pm.  This was perfect!!  I had been wondering if I was just going to show up with goodies, not knowing anything about these women or if I should somehow ask if they like Margaritas and/or tacos!?

Only with the goal to make them laugh and feel happy when we meet, and hoping I get the opportunity to share my expertise in sales and how I can help them.

Just then I told her that since it was Cinco de Mayo, I will bring tacos, and asked if she and her mother like beef, chicken or vegan?

The daughter responded that she had "forgotten" that it was Cinco de Mayo, & that tacos "weren't necessary."  After a little back and forth, and me offering again at "my treat." She responded with "beef."

BEEF!  I was so excited!!  This was going to be a great meeting, no matter whether I get the job or not, because I was set on making the Cinco de Mayo Day of these hurting women.

Finally came time for the meeting!  I had woken up at 3am that morning, really excited with plans of how I could make this really special for these women!

I already had all of the comparative properties to show them on how their property could be best priced for a quick sale & generating a lot of activity and chaos in the market, from the Miami real estate market or a slower sale or an even slower sale, but starting with the highest listing price.  I had all of the sales that my team had done in the last year and the year before, as she had requested. I had information on my education through Keller Williams, and how I sold my last property in just 6 days with 4 over listing price offers.  They shared with me their family values, and all the turmoil they had lived through recently.

I shared with them my family values, pictures, as well, & how my background in sales has extended a lifetime, but that my real estate sales are just beginning, and I would be so grateful for the opportunity to bring them what they want and need to make on this property.  

I explained that I am CONFIDENT that I can sell their property for record time for the highest price, and I explained to them just how I intend to do this.

On Wednesday, after an hour and 40 minute meeting with lots of laughs, tacos, margaritas, hawaiian leis, plastic red cups with embedded red straws, funny sunglasses & hats, we took a few pictures, and I left everything with them to follow up after their interviews with other local realtors.  

The next day, I followed up with Mrs. R and during our phone conversation, she laughed.  

I thought this was a good sign, but I just thought I'd keep in touch through the week, and answer their questions, as they came up, and send them houses in different locations that were for sale to help them build desire and motivation to make the sale and a change to better their lives.

Saturday, they called me and they were ready to sign an agreement to hire me to sell their home, after interviewing allll of the realtors, trying to find a better suited to sell their house, 

they called and hired ME and my team!!

Once the paperwork was in with their signature and mine, I started making plans to sell this $5 million home.  The next day was Sunday, Mother's Day, and over WhatsApp, a text was received from Mrs. R.  She sent me a Mother's Day card.  Really?  I thought...how painful this day must be for her, yet, unselfishly she was sending ME a holiday message.  

I was feeling so grateful and thankful to have these wonderful woman give me such an amazing opportunity as to sell their home and help them start a new life.

I vowed to make them happy.

They told me they were counting on me.

This felt really good.  I would have the opportunity to really make a difference for them.

The next day, I received an email.

It said it was from their lawyer, and they were considering not going through with the listing agreement.

I did not understand.

I was instructed by their lawyer not to reach out to them anymore.

This was really strange.

Finally on Thursday, Mrs. R reached out to me, and said that when she had given the email docs to her lawyer to file, her lawyer berated her for making such an important decision without her.

I wondered where was this lawyer on the first 3 expired listing agreements???

So, now we have a lawyer who wants to get in on the profits of the sale?

This lawyer, who turned down a phone call to meet me, and my partner, who I told her has been in luxury real estate for 22 years.  Ms Lawful had no desire to meet me nor my partner, nor hear ANYTHING about our plans to sell Mrs. R's home, but had her own real estate agent she wanted to recommend.

From what I understand, this other realtor is from the same company as I am, but has a lot more years in the real estate business.  So, where I was excited and new, and ready to prove myself, and had only good things to say about this other realtor, with the same training as I had had, but many years before, I was told that she, instead, had invalidated my partner and I.

In the listing contract that I had Mrs. R sign, I had written that there would be "NO CANCELLATION FEE," as I was sure that she would give me the opportunity to do as I had promised, and I was SO CONFIDENT that I would have the opportunity to make Mrs. R and her daughter happy, as I had pledged.

Anyway, tough lesson learned.

You can only make people as happy as they will allow you.

Don't beat yourself up about it.

There are many more people who will give you the opportunity, and realize that an expired listing overall needs the LIFE and VITALITY of a newer agent.

Just disturbing that an agent or "broker" as she was described to me, would belittle a fellow agent with the same training, but newer in the business.  Often, those who are newer in ANY business are the ones who breath new LIFE into that business.

Especially, an agent with as much excitement and tenacity as me with a lifetime of history in sales.