“They thought you were very nice,” said my friend, “but they didn’t think you would be aggressive enough.”
I take that as a compliment.
I had shown a property to some friends of my friend, who were looking to purchase, mostly as a favour to my friend, but always in the hopes it brings some business.
Well, they went with another real estate agent, as the all-to-familiar saying goes.
Someone whom perhaps they thought was more aggressive.
Who needs that, I wondered.
What the world needs, is more NICE!
The people who choose to work with me to help them buy a home or sell their house, seem to not mind that I am “nice.”
In fact, I think they prefer it.
I think that’s why they choose me.
Who wants a hard selling, aggressive, guerrilla tactics salesperson to help them with one of the biggest transactions they will likely have in their lifetime.
To me, that would add even more stress to an already stressful situation – and who wants that.
And I’ve been there, believe me.
With a car salesman who very nearly wasn’t going to let me leave the dealership until I had purchased a vehicle!
Well, let me tell you – all the sales “tactics” in the world aren’t going to help in the real estate business.
Because in the end, it is the person selling the house, and the person buying the home, who must come to a meeting of the minds as to a good price where everyone is happy.
A house/home is not a commodity owned by a retail giant or car dealership who acts as a middleman to get the product to the consumer.
Nosiree.
A house/home is owned by a regular person, who has lived their life there, loved there, experienced joy there, has many memories invested.
It is an emotional transaction, to say the least.
And so, to me, aggression is a trait that need not apply.
If anything, kid gloves would be more appropriate.
However, I digress.
Because along with being nice to my clients, I am always happy to greet them with a smile, be it in person or over the phone. Because I know that the emotional turmoil that often goes along with buying or selling a house or home can be stressful. And so I find a happy demeanor is always welcomed.
I am patient, friendly, personable, and determined.
I love a good challenge – and real estate is filled with those!
I am with my clients every step of the way. Responding to texts and emails and calls quickly. There to reassure, to explain, to be “there” for them through the thick and the thin of it. There for the stress of it all.
Because if real estate is one thing for sure, it is stressful, to both buyers and sellers.
I understand the concept that if my clients don’t have a problem, I don’t have a job.
I embrace problems as challenges that need to be solved, to be figured out.
Sure, I love the sales and marketing and public relations side of being a realtor also.
But it is a lot of responsibility to market a person’s house, and to represent a buyer who wants to purchase a house.
There is a lot of trust that has to be held as a privilege between a realtor and clients.
I remember being told at least once in my previous career as a broadcast news reporter and anchor at a local TV station, that I was too “nice” for that job too.
I take that as a compliment also.
I don’t think there is such a thing as being too nice.
Again, I think the world needs much more of it.
And being told I am too “nice” for something certainly isn’t going to encourage me to be less “nice.”
The world has enough of that already.
And is that what people are suggesting to me, that I be less “nice?”
There are much worse things to be than too nice.
And I don’t wish to be any of those things.
I enjoy helping people, making them feel at ease, striking up a conversation, being friendly, personable, interested, and SMILING!
That’s what the world needs more of too. SMILES!
They’re worth a million dollars – but only if you give them away, someone once told me.
And so, to all the naysayers who say I am too nice for anything, I say “Thank You!”
I am very happy to be too nice for you.