Love letters...

I don't mean 'love' letters.  I mean real estate love letters. Many of us use them, have our clients write them.  They are presented to the Sellers with the offer to buy their house.

'Oh, we love your home.  See our photo of our dog.  He loves you too.  He'll be your best friend!  Oh, don't like dogs?  Forget we have one.  We just love your home.'   That's typical some of the love letters I see as a real estate broker.  But not my own clients.  My clients have a way (their own) with words! 

Several years ago, at the top of the market, I was sitting in with some sellers who weren't mine.  They got me because their agent was writing an offer for a buyer and also had the listing.  That's called 'double-ending the deal'.  And there were multiple offers.  When this happens, we bring in a designated broker who can review the offers with the owners of the property, thus keeping the appearance of non-conflict for the other agents involved.

We got to the table and sat down.  "Where are the letters? We want to see why these people want our house. Let's get to the letters." Um, I thought, not so many of those letters.  I produced a couple of them.  "This is all?  This is ridiculous!"

That's when I heard something I've never heard before in this situation.  They wanted to google the buyers!  They wanted to find out if they were crooks, or if they filed lawsuits, or if they were attorneys.  They didn't want to see the offers...they wanted to find out about the buyers!

I was dumbfounded.  Finally, I said, 'You know, I'm going to step away from the conference room, and you can take some time and do your search over at the computer.  You call me when you're done and we'll then go through the mechanics of the offers but I am not going be a party to your search.'

And here we are about 4-5 years later.  I think about that scenario.  I can't remember them, their names, their address.  But I recall the spitefulness in them.  And I quickly put them out of my mind. 


I googled myself tonight.  It's been quite awhile.  'They' say you should do it every once in a while if you are in business.  Its probably been two years.  I'm not so sure I want to know what is being said.

I've seen my name in obituaries, from Nevada to Iowa.  I am greatly relieved to say the news of my passing has been greatly exaggerated.  And there's the speech therapist in New York.

I did find a highlight.  One man, I don't even remember him, wrote a 5-star review of me on YELP!  I don't remember our conversation but I guess I said the right things.  It was like a love letter.  Paolo M., I hope your life is going much better!

And continue to live richly.

marilyn