Playing The Game Of Expectations
When the market’s doing unexpected things, it can feel like you’re a pawn in a game of chess.
I don’t care what side of the offer table you’re on. There’s not a person on earth who is happy feeling like a pawn. And Real Estate isn’t a game.
Buying and selling Real Estate is about as human an experience as there is. It’s raw. It’s ugly. It’s elating and it’s (maybe the hardest one) disappointing. It’s trying not to get too excited about something for fear of not having your expectations met.
Hard? We can handle hard. But unmet expectations are where disappointment sets in. And feeling disappointed is so much worse than accomplishing something that was hard.
Here’s my philosophy.
Knowing what to expect going in is 95% of the reason my clients succeed. Setting expectations upfront to prepare a client will help them to better navigate their offer or listing. Anticipating what another buyer (or several) are willing to pay, or forego, is imperative to going in with something that’s within the ballpark of an acceptance.
Giving direct, honest and yes, even hard advice upfront. Being pragmatic about whether an offer has the potential to be considered – BEFORE writing it – is key.
In the case of Mike and Julia, they were so prepared for the market that they were successful on their first offer. They trusted the plan, and when it was right they knew what to do.
And? They paid a price that was palatable and didn’t have to accept a lot of risk by doing so.
It’s all possible. Hard, sure. But when expectations are set upfront, it won’t feel that way.
