Empathy not Sympathy Governs Sacramento Real Estate

So often when you hear people talk about Sacramento real estate, they will say something like: it’s not the money, it’s the principle, well . . . it’s the money. They’re fighting hard for that money. People on the other end of the argument for principle might believe that the principle is not worth the discussion, and therefore it’s not the money NOR the principle, and they wish you would shut the you-know-what up. They might become defensive and angry and accuse the person who presses the discussion about the principle, claiming that this person is making mountains out of molehills.

Do you know anybody who ever made a mountain out of a molehill? Huh? I ask you because I surely haven’t. I don’t even think a mole can make a mountain unless you call a small pile of sand about six-inches high a mountain, and that’s not my definition.

For me, and for most real estate agents, principles and ethics and integrity are how we run our Sacramento real estate businesses. By not compromising that foundation, we don’t have to wonder if we’re doing something wrong because we probably are not. I am fearless about it.

I see so much crap lately going on in Sacramento real estate, especially among other professionals, and I wonder why none of this bothers some of these people. What stories do they tell themselves to make them think it’s OK to lie, cheat and steal? What made them so desperate to stoop so low? We worked recently with an agent, who shall remain anonymous, who gave us the runaround on an offer. Refused to present, requested numerous unnecessary changes, used delay tactics and then, oops, double-ended it. One can report these agents to the Sacramento Board of REALTORS, but proof is difficult to show and consequences are small.

Sometimes, what comes around, goes around, though.

I thought about this as I sat across the table from a seller yesterday, signing listing paperwork. The sellers had talked to another agent who told them he did not need to view their home because he could work the numbers from the comparable sales. He was kinda pushy and insensitive to their needs. I don’t know how anybody can do well in real estate if one is insensitive to her client. Needless to say, the sellers didn’t get a good vibe from that agent and called me instead.

It’s empathy, not sympathy. People often confuse these words. It’s not a sense of sorrow for people. It’s understanding how your client feels and sharing those feelings. I can’t present a seller’s vision to the world unless I can understand it and feel it myself. That’s what we do when we sell real estate, we present the seller’s experience to the buyer in hopes that the buyer will relate and want to buy it. You might think this is weird, but houses talk. You can’t hear it unless you’re inside the home to listen and observe.

If you need a real estate agent who will listen to you, feel free to call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.