Picture it. You’re standing in a beautiful mid-century kitchen with a lovely couple from your sphere. They’ve been pre-approved for months. Then one of them leans on the counter, sighs and says, “Honestly, with everything going on in the world right now … should we even be doing this?”
Deep breath. Here’s the truth: Your client isn’t asking you to fix the country. They’re asking whether they are going to be OK. That’s a question you can actually help with. You know their bigger “why.”
I’ve sold real estate in Austin for nearly 20 years, through elections, rate spikes, a pandemic and more “unprecedented times” than I can count. Here’s how to handle politics with clients without losing your mind, your values or your business.
You are a human and a real estate professional
You have views on current events, global issues and local issues. Of course you do. You live in a community, pay taxes and read the news (maybe too much of it).
The old advice was to lock your opinions in a box. There’s wisdom in not starting a debate during a showing. But pretending to be a beige, opinion-free sales robot is exhausting, and it’s not very convincing.
When the client brings it up
You don’t have to walk through the door a client opens. But you don’t have to slam it in their face, either.
- Take a breath first. A mini moment of mindfulness keeps you from reacting out of your own anxiety instead of theirs.
- Name what you hear. “It sounds like the uncertainty is making this feel risky.” You’re not agreeing or disagreeing with their politics. You’re acknowledging a human feeling.
- Bring it back to what they control. Their timeline. Their budget. Why they wanted to move in the first place. Usually those reasons are still true. Talk about the tactical things they can do, like refinance down the road if rates go down. Think of it like being a pilot, not a weather forecaster. You can’t control the storm. But you can tell your passengers how you plan to fly through it, and that’s what calms people down.
- Stick to what you actually know. Local, housing-related facts are your zone of genius. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” is a perfectly professional sentence. Guessing about national policy to sound smart is not.
Decide your lane: nonpartisan or not?
The bad news: We live in a very divided world, and some people will feel alienated no matter what you do. Say nothing, and someone decides your silence means something. Say something, and someone else unfollows you. It sucks, but it’s reality.
The good news: More and more people want to work with companies and leaders who share their values. The clients who resonate with you will seek you out because of who you are.
So decide for yourself. Publicly nonpartisan, or values on your sleeve? Both are valid. The only shitty option is drifting back and forth without deciding, then feeling anxious every time you post.
Find your lane. Then drive in it on purpose.
Use your reach for good … and building your reach
Agents have a lot of reach. We know hundreds of people and have a front-row seat to how local decisions affect housing. Here’s my short list. Some ideas are nonpartisan, and some aren’t. Use what resonates; skip what doesn’t.
- Make sure your past clients are registered to vote. If someone bought a house in the last four years, their registration may not have moved with them. Reach out and offer to help them check. Texas doesn’t have full online voter registration (boo, I know), so you have to be proactive. Bonus points if you can actually help register them. Nobody gets mad that their real estate agent helped them vote. Easy peasy, non-partisan outreach. Just being a good, engaged citizen.
- Host a postcard or letter-writing party. Do it at home, or throw some love to a local coffee shop or bookstore. It’s basically a client appreciation event with a purpose.
- Host a meet-and-greet for like-minded clients. If you’ve chosen a lane, bring your people together. Clients love meeting each other.
- Organize some block walking. In Austin, you can visit your party’s local headquarters for supplies and guidance. Knocking on doors is a skill you already have. You just usually do it with a CMA.
- Post about local elections and housing. Explain what’s on the ballot that affects homeowners: homestead exemption changes, what local bonds would pay for, how property taxes get decided. Point people to nonpartisan resources like the League of Women Voters voter guides. You’re not telling anyone how to vote. You’re being the local expert they already hired.
- Grab some sidewalk chalk. “Election Day is coming. Are you registered?” on your front walk is low-effort, high-visibility and kind of delightful.
The hard one
If a big chunk of your business comes from a referral source that doesn’t align with your values, there’s no easy answer. Maybe you stay publicly nonpartisan and focus on voter registration. Maybe you slowly diversify your lead sources, so you have more freedom. That’s your call, and nobody gets to make it for you.
Bring it back home
When a client brings up politics, they’re usually bringing up fear. Your job isn’t to debate it or fix it. It’s to listen, ground them in what they control, and be the steady, honest human in the room.
Markets change; relationships endure. The agents who show up as whole people, values and all, build relationships that outlast any election cycle.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the contributor and separate from the Inman newsroom.
Sumina Bhatti is the team lead for the Good Deeds Group at Compass. Get connected on Instagram.
