It’s not personal. It’s business. But in real estate, things can get personal very quickly. Have you met anyone, buyer or seller, who has felt slighted during a real estate transaction? It happens, and simple courtesy goes a long way in building bridges.
Susan Hughes Hunter, the vice president of Lois Schneider Realtor, notes that sellers get offended when asked to fix this, do that. “People feel this is their home, their blood, sweat and tears.” Sometimes both buyers and sellers need to realize that what seems like a business transaction speaks to people’s hearts. The way we say or ask for things is just as important as what we say.
Buyers tend to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb, while sellers can be sensitive. Ken Baris of Jordan Baris Realtors sold a house two years ago for a professional hockey player. The hockey pro sold his house to the buyer who wrote a letter about how much they wanted to live in the home, even though another bid came in for $100,000 more. In this case, courtesy and heart won out over price.