Try a little empathy...

“Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away.” (Sir Arthur Help) from the Jack’s Winning Words Blog.

How often have you heard a Realtor spout off about their real estate knowledge and experience when all that the would-be seller is looking for at the time is a kind word about the situation that is forcing the sale?

In today’s market, in many parts of the country, expressing some empathy and sympathy with short sellers or foreclosed clients is more helpful than spouting off a list of certifications and experience with distressed sales. The Realtor will get the chance to prove the value of that training later. For the moment, trying a little understanding and kindness when dealing with these situations seems to be the better approach.

Let’s face it, these sales are almost always off on the wrong foot already; and, statistically, the prospect for actually making the short sale before the place is foreclosed is below 50%. A long, frustrating process lies ahead, so taking the time on the front-end to establish a relationship based upon understanding and empathy is a much better start. The seller not only needs someone to sell their house, they often need someone to commiserate with, too.

In fact, many of the calls that I get about these situations result in only the one meeting. We determine during that meeting if trying a short-sale is even worth the effort. Sometimes things are too far gone and the fporeclosure process is already well underway. In those cases, having a good cry and then facing up to the need to move on when the foreclosure process has run its course is the best that the owner can do. Whether the owner can proceed to try a short-sale or not, having a meeting with a Realtor and getting a good assessment of their situation is worthwhile. At least they will have a better understanding of the process that they are facing and the options that they may still have.

So, give me a call. We'll meet. We'll talk. We may have a good cry. Maybe we'll pray about it. In the end, you'll know where you stand, what your options are, and that someone else cares.