Cory Brewer

By Cory Brewer

My blog entry for this quarter will not come as news to most of the people reading it, but I think it’s a good reminder nonetheless:  Every now and then, the clients and colleagues you work with will tell you one thing, but then do another.

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one before from another agent:  “I’ve got a great offer for you and my clients are really excited about the house.”

This “great offer” may even be full price…only you find out later that the buyer has a horrible credit score and can’t get a loan.

The point I’m trying to make is this:  Nearly everyone I’ve talked to lately can feel the market starting to come back.  Buyers, sellers, agents, lenders…everyone.  It can be easy to get wrapped up in the excitement but I think it’s important, as an agent, to keep your cool and be level-headed while coaching your clients.  It’s important to cover all the details of a deal, and a positive, optimistic attitude is key.  But I also think it will serve you well to prepare your clients for the worst-case-scenario, because unfortunately sometimes that is exactly what can happen.

Draw on your experience – that is probably a big part of why your clients hired you in the first place.  Cover your bases, and do your best to set the proper expectations from the beginning.  So when that dream deal actually DOES come together, your clients will be thrilled that they were lucky enough to be working with you…rather than expecting everything to go smoothly only to have to suffer through unforeseen bumps in the road.

The market is coming back.  It’s true.  But don’t get caught up in the hype.  Remember that a deal is not a deal until the ink on the contract is dry.

Cory Brewer is a REALTOR® in the Seattle area and Operations Manager at Windermere Property Management / LGA in Bellevue. Connect with Cory at www.wpmnorthwest.com.