I am in the early stage of a transaction that has been a challenge, and one that might not work in the end. It's what we call a challenging real estate transaction. But the thing that is making it all fun is that the listing agent on the other side of the deal, Long & Foster's John Astorino, is absolutely wonderful. He is not only good looking, but he is highly professional, knows what he knows what he is doing. Oh, and he passes the fun test.
This transaction has issues. Now that we are ratified, the buyers think they paid too much, and the seller thinks he gave it away. And the appraiser agrees with the buyers.- Then we got the homeowner association documents, and the minutes of the board meetings are filled with references to a major rat infestation (OK, this is not even downtown DC! It's suburban Virginia where they are not supposed to even have rats!).
- The home inspection produced a (we thought) reasonable to-do list that the seller doesn't want to do.
And throughout the whole thing, John has been funny, professional, respectful and polite.
So yesterday we were talking and he mentioned a listing agent on the other side of a deal where he represented the buyers, and the situation was similar to ours except that the other agent wound up screaming at him! It was over something that wasn't that big a deal. And she was wrong! John was right!
OK, guys! Screaming doesn't work. It never works. And whether you hang up first or the person you are yelling at does, you sound like a total jerk. And while you might not be a jerk, you will be acting like one.
Screaming at colleagues does not enhance your reputation. In fact, you will be the topic of conversation around your colleague's office's water cooler. You will get a rep for being one of "those" agents - you know! A PIA. That stands for "Pain in the A__".
My deal with John may or may not work out in the end. But even if it doesn't, I plan to keep my eye open for his listings so I can find someone to buy them.
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. You may call, email or text me at:
Housepat@mac.com, 202-549-5167
