Call Me A Romper Room Reject

I feel the need to clear something up here.

This BLOG, is about ME!  What I think, how I feel, where I go, what I do, what I want, what I like, what I don't.  ME.  It's what's going on in MY LIFE at any given moment ,over any whim in the world of real estate.  I appreciate that my friends and followers get excited and all that, but inevitably, someone tells me what I should write about next.

No.

Write your own BLOG.  Right or wrong, good, bad or ugly, I get to write MY thoughts, feelings and opinions, and I get to pick the topic.  It's about ME. You ain't gotta read it if you don't want to.  But at some point in MY LIFE, I get to have MY say.

And today I am gonna have my say about getting dumped.  My client dumped me.  And I am NOT pleased.  Work is a good thing, and helping my clients any way I can is a pleasure.  Believe it or not, I spend a good bit of money out of my own pocket marketing my listings.  I do it with a goal, to get paid.  I don't embark on this listing period on a whim and a prayer.  I don't list so I can just be your do-BEE-itch.  I gave up Romper Room a long time ago.

Listings expire. That is the nature of the business.  They elect to list with another agent.  I get that.  Whatever the reason, it's all good.  It is what it is, we don't like it, but we move on.  Believe it or not, sometimes, we are actually GLAD to see those listings go. We really are not that desperate for a place to hang our name rider. At least, I'm not.

But to get DUMPED?  Seriously?  Girlfriend ain't gonna let this one slide.  I will BLOG about it, as recommended by a loved one, but I am not 'getting over it'.  I will move on, but I will NOT forget.  Lesson learned.

So, here is the background.  This listing is/was overpriced.  Did I tell them?  Oh yes, I most certainly did. They had an appraisal from an appraiser (of FARMLAND), a friend, of course. No amount of comparable properties supplied by myself or feed back from some (12 buyers) would elicit a lower price.  Have them 'make an offer' was their strategy.  Buyers rejected that marketing ploy (they really aren't that stupid), they were embarrassed to come in so low, never mind it was grossly overpriced, they refused.  I had THREE clients walk away rather than face the frustration of having to deal with an unreasonable seller.  Why waste the time and effort it would require?  The buyers were motivated, the seller was not.

Some properties in our market have gone 12 mos without a single showing.  Not so with this property.   Given the state of the property - original condition, vintage 1930's with a minimum of $85k required to add HVAC, wiring, plumbing, appliances, roof, kitchen (exactly a sink and one cabinet in place) I think I have done a pretty good job in getting it marketed and pulling in some interest.  Not just 'snoopers' either.  Three times I met with $ERIOU$ buyers AND their contractors to see how they could make sense of the purchase price and work needed to make the property liveable. One of those buyers was even represented by an out of market agent who didn't want to drive 2 hours to represent her client.  Asked me to show it for her, oh, AND find them a contractor,  (NO, she would not pay me) I was doing it for my SELLERS!  She would write the offer for them if they decided to buy. Hence three hours on a Saturday, with her clients - my contractor running around measuring and making notes for them.  Thanks so much, we really appreciate it!

uh huh.

So sorry, too much  work and too high a list price.  Again.

Oops, I believe I forgot to mention the 'vintage' automobiles left by the sellers in the yard- half covered with tarps, weeds over grown around them.  I averaged at least 3 calls a week from John Q. Public on those. Seller of course was happy to have me screen those for him. Though he never would tell me HOW MUCH he wanted for them. I was to describe the cars, get their info and forward it to the sellers.  After a letter from the City to clean up the lot, there came a frantic call for Tina to SELL the cars-quickly, or better yet find a CHEAP place to store them somewhere between here and Charleston.  Seriously?  So, yes, they got sold.  I never heard which lead bought them or for how much, they were just gone one day.  Not so much as a 'thank you' from the sellers.

After receiving yet another threatening letter from the City regarding the yard, Tina ran and got someone on that.  'No, no need to put it on a maintenance plan', they said. They were going to do it themselves (they all lived at least 90 miles away).  Another frantic call, a letter  from the City, again,  possible fines. It's my problem, again.  Hurry Tina, hurry.

Ya'all must'a watched that show Romper Room here in the South too?  Remember  Do-Bee?  Well guess what Sugar?  This is business, and as such, one would expect a professional relationship with professional

REALTORS are not UNPAID Do-Bee's

expectations to be extended from BOTH sides of the relationship.  I perform my duties as your REALTOR with the roles on both sides clearly defined in the paperwork YOU SIGNED!   Somewhere  along the way, it appears that the role has transformed the listing agents role into a Do-Bee for the seller.  I will own that myself.  Take full responsibility for allowing it to happen.

So, seller called last night responding to my listing extension request.    I got the equivalent of the 'Let's Be Friend's' call.  I kid you not!  He literally said 'I know we have had your hands tied on the price... (there's a name for men who like to tie you up) but...we are listing with our friend who lives next door.'  'We are going to lower the price so now YOU can bring a buyer'.  Seriously?  He went further to say 'I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate everything you have done for us...'  Really?  I didn't wait to hear what else he said.  I hung up on him.  Appreciation is fulfilling your side of a contractual relationship so the other party can fulfill theirs.

Let's make sure we are clear on this.  The seller KNOWS and ADMITS that I couldn't sell the house because he refused to lower the price (and I mean by like 1/2), but now he will do so for his friend?  BUT!  How awesome! He will allow TINA to sell it.  uh huh  Hold your breath Sweetheart.

Tina can un-sell a house faster than she can sell one, I assure you.

One of my dear ones had a boyfriend break up with her after four years.  He told her the very same thing...'I appreciate everything you have done for me...'.  Who says that?  My reaction then is the same one I am feeling now.  It's 'KISS MY BIG FAT ITALIAN A( y )

There's a lesson to be learned here aside from the obvious 'YOU WERE USED' lesson.

No amount of service will sell an overpriced listing.