This is about an experience I had. I ask the question “are you able to stand tall and hold your head high?” Along with this question I am going to share a quotation that I read in a book. “it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, it’s how you play the game.”
It depends what your perspective is on that quote. My perspective is being able to walk away from a situation or experience. Knowing you did everything with integrity, honesty, and being able to stand tall and hold your head high.
I had an experience in my Real Estate career. I had a client that I had been working with for several weeks, trying to find her a home. She had put two offers on two properties, and both times they had gone multiply offers, and she had missed out.
One evening I received a call from her, saying she thought she had done something wrong, however, it may work out. She explained to me that her ex-partner had seen a house that had just been listed, and it was in her price range. He told her to ring the agent and make an appointment, and if she liked it she could put an offer in. She did this, and then once her ex-partner left, she realized she made a mistake. She rang and told me what had happened, and said she wanted me to go with her to view the property.
At first I felt a bit gutted, because with her making initial contact this ruled me out introducing her to the property, and receiving a small commission if she bought it. I said, “I would have to ring the agent and check with him if I could accompany her”. She sent me his name and details I rang him. I was hoping he would be open minded.
I explained my client had rung and made an appointment to view a property, and before I could finish explaining 
what my client wanted. He was immediately on the defensive, attacking me verbally, saying it was his client, demanding what was I proposing. I explained that my client had been rushed and hadn’t had time to think it through. He ridiculed that, and he wouldn’t listen that she wanted me to accompany me. He kept speaking to me angrily, aggressively, bullying, and was quite rude He didn’t act in a professional manner at all.
He kept saying he wouldn’t do a conjunctional This means, if I had rung the agent first, and made the appointment to introduce my client to the property, I would get a small percentage of the commission. I kept my cool, and kept saying what my client wanted. Finally, I said fine, regarding the conjunctional. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde, he completely turned around, was nice, and said yes most certainly you can accompany her, that is very nice. This attack did leave me a quite shell-shocked.
However, the next day I met my client and we went to the house. She was very pleased to see me, and was glad I was with her. Upon arriving at the house, I walked up to the agent, put my hand out to shake hands. I instigated the hand shake, then proceeded to thank him for allowing me to accompany my client. I found he had a weak handshake, and he was unable to look me in the eye the whole time we shook hands. In response to me thanking him, he said it’s perfectly fine for another consultant to accompany the buyer.
Then my client turn around to her ex-partner and said “this is Rosemary, I forgot to tell you that she has been helping me find a place. It all happened so quick last night”. Right there, during the conversation, my client confirmed, what I had said the night before on the phone. I turned to the ex-partner, introduce myself and shook his hand. His handshake was much firmer.
We proceeded to look through the property, I was pointing out things that were positive, which I knew my client was looking for. I also mentioned how warm it was, considering it was a wet day. My client felt good about it, and liked it. I could see how the night before my client had been pressured into ringing, because the ex-partner kept saying “well what about putting an offer in.” When he heard, an offer had already come in that morning, he said “well let’s go down to the office right now and put an offer in” The agent said no we do have till tomorrow for all offers to come in. My client was again in a multiply offer
While standing outside talking, the ex-partner again tried pressuring her, I just frowned at him, and he backed off. My client then turned around and said “I like it, it does feel good, however, I want to talk to Rosemary first before I do anything”. The power had been handed to me. Watching the two men, seeing the wind go out of their sails, and feeling their deflation, it was quite interesting. There was nothing left for them to do, but leave, allowing my client and myself time, for her to discuss it with me and talk it through.
I sat with my client for about 30 -45 minutes, talking with her, allowing her to process it all. Being there for her as she talked it all through and asking questions. She came to the decision that she would put the offer in, at the amount that her ex-partner had suggested.
Then a very interesting thing happened to me. I was sitting there feeling the light beaming out of my eyes, and in a space of joy for my client. In my heart area, I started to feel this energy, a feeling of warmth, and utmost faith and trust, that everything was going to be okay, a knowing, I would be looked after. It was an amazing feeling.
Looking back on the whole experience. I felt that I handled the situation very professionally, with integrity, honesty and compassion. I knew, I could stand tall and hold my head high. Where the other agent, had acted very unprofessional, he couldn’t look me in the eye, and he done himself a great disservice.
At the beginning of the newsletter, I shared this quote – “it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, it’s how you play the game.” I felt I had played the game the right way. It’s not what happens in the present, it’s what transpires from it in the future. What you create in your now will manifest in your future.
PS: Since writing this article, the week following this incident, I had two conditional sales that came in, and went unconditional. I was looked after.
