This past Friday evening, I was having my usual crazy start to the weekend, at my desk, nursing a Diet Coke, and figuring out the median price of homes in Chappaqua for the month of May, when the email came in.
We would like to see the house you have listed at XX Rd Saturday as close to noon as possible.
I counted backwards from 10, and then the text came, because all email inquiries on our listings have an accompanying text alert so we don’t miss anyone. 2 minutes later, another email came from the same people. And the text. Sometimes that happens- maybe they clicked twice.
10 minutes later, another email to my inbox.
We still haven’t heard from anyone. Should we contact another agency?
I checked my watch. Friday, 8:53 pm.
There is a temptation to scream into the pillow or fire off an email in response that says something to the effect of
News flash! Did you know agents work weekends and might already have our appointments set? Should we throw the folks we already have appointments with to the curb just for you?
However, tact is the better way to do business. There are two kinds of people who make inquiries like this: Sincere people who don’t know all the nuances of our industry, and unreasonable types who go to a Yankee-Red Sox game in late September and complain about the crowds. Better to err on the side of the former until you know otherwise.
Real estate licensees do have our busy time on weekends, and we are often done filling our schedules for Saturday and Sunday by the end of the prior Thursday. While there is a small “on call” side to the business, we really do more by appointment, especially in a busy spring season on a weekend. Earlier in the week is better if you can only look on a weekend.
I explained this is a tactful way via email, and then after a brief a phone call, the folks understood graciously and we are all set for next Saturday. If we never sell them a house, we have educated the consumer.
Now if all of us in the industry could do that…
A Sign of Progress with Pepperoni
I’ll explain. Around 6pm, prior to meeting some buyer clients I was covering for one of my agents, I got a little peckish and stopped for a bite. As you might imagine by the number of vowels in my last name, I did not get goulash. So there I was, waiting in line to get my slice of pizza and a coke (screw it, I don’t care what Bloomberg says, I wanted SUGAR in my drink). And I waited.
And I waited. It became clear to me that the two guys ahead of me either couldn’t choose what to get or they were holding the place up and I didn’t know it. Finally, a manager came and spoke with them.
“Where did you work before?”
“What days are you available?”
Lordy… if I had a hat I would have taken it off! I was witness to someone getting a job. Someone, before my very eyes in this economy, was getting hired! I hadn’t heard a conversation like that in years. I felt like handing out cigars or sending out announcements. I was the unsuspecting godfather of a new job being born. I returned to my car, food in bag, and half checked my wrist for a maternity ward band.
And then, I met two good folks who eagerly looked at 4 homes with me.
While a pizza joint hiring a dough slinger might be an unconventional economic indicator, in context with all the other things I am seeing lately, I think it was fitting. There is still shadow inventory, banks are still stingy, and we still have a ways to go in this market. There will still be days when three deals fall apart. But I am certain that today proved that we are past the nadir.
And just to prove that the angels agree, there was not so much as a drop of red sauce on my lightly colored shirt at day’s end.
#win.