What did I do this week? I pounded on my computer until it produced the perfect property for one buyer, who loved it but announced that his job situation is still too iffy for him to want to buy anything right now. But I loved the apartment — expensive kitchen, outdoor space, and the kind of cute little building where a celebrity cook with a name that rhymes with Machael May might hang out. So I dangled it in front of another client, who it would be perfect for. She didn’t e-mail me back.
With an accepted offer on a property I’m selling, I tried like holy heck to get from offer to contract. As you readers know, in the current market this never happens. Hubby and I are selling our beach house at a low, low price, and we are working accepted offer number three — while at the property I am agenting, I am dealing with accepted offer number two. I feel like I have been engaged more times than Paris Hilton.
So, anyway, in an attempt to move to the altar, I talked to my favorite mortgage guy about a financial strategy that would move our buyer forward. We came up with a great idea, and I sent it to the buyer’s agent. The agent didn’t e-mail me back.
I brought in another offer of the property. This one doesn’t need financing. I communicated it to the seller. The seller said, and I quote, "hmm."
It’s just that kind of week. Today I hosted part of a brokers’ open house tour where no one showed up. Thank goodness I had made another appointment, so at least I did a showing. On the other hand, I had promised drinks (in New York we do these tours like progressive dinner parties, so one agent at one property will have sandwiches, another at another property desserts, etc.). The result of the slow market? I’ve got approximately two gallons of lemonade on my hands.
Also this week, a friend called to tell me that his parents were inheriting a property and could I please look at it? — but it turns out they don’t want to sell it.
My rental client who was planning to come in from Norway later this month postponed his trip to try to accommodate his visa problems.
What else? I called the client that the apartment with the expensive kitchen would be perfect for, and she didn’t call me back.
I have yet another listing that the paperwork is moving forward on, but at the rate of approximately one piece of paper a day. I swear it’s not my fault, but my boss is starting to make cracks about how hiring 100 monkeys might be more efficient.
In many ways, this summer is way better than last summer, when I wasn’t putting enough time into real estate to feel like I had a handle on anything. I have more listings; I’m better with buyers; my knowledge of inventory is better; and I waste less time.
I am still fairly bad with graphics programs, but I am figuring out ways to outsource that kind of thing.
On the other hand, the market has slowed to the point where the results don’t reflect my higher level of skill yet. It has not helped that the temperature was pushing 100 degrees earlier this week — everyone’s a little bit irascible. So I think the plan is just to muddle through till July Fourth weekend, take a break, and then regroup and see if it doesn’t get any better.
Maybe I’ll rent some movies and put my feet up. At least I’ve got plenty of lemonade.
Alison Rogers is a licensed salesperson and author of "Diary of a Real Estate Rookie."
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