In the Trenches: Caught Up in the Moment

Caught Up in the Moment

I had a listing that needed some septic work done. I was at the house when the two contractors arrived, and while they were doing their work, I used my electric blower to remove the debris from the driveway. I was thinking it would be an easy job and I could go from the listing to my office. But I happened to be wearing a pretty mid-length dress that day, and suddenly, as I was working, I noticed my dress beginning to tighten around my legs. The intake fan had sucked my dress into the blower!

Unable to get my dress out myself, I called the workmen over to help me pull it out of the blower. They both tugged and pulled the frayed fabric out, releasing me from my blower bondage.

We all had a good laugh, and I learned a valuable lesson that day: Wear the appropriate attire when doing yardwork.

—Nancy Duncan, John L. Scott Real Estate, Port Orchard, Wash.

After the Wreckage

During an open house, a potential buyer came in with a blustery and dismissive attitude, refusing to sign the log-in sheet. He then went to get his wife from the car. In the process of backing up his car to get closer to the house, he slammed into my new car, causing consider-able damage. That’s when I got his name and contact information. He sheepishly called me later in the week, asking if I’d show them some houses. I ended up selling them a house and listing their condo—and they fixed my car.

—Lindsey Rothschild, eXp Realty, Holyoke, Mass.

Interpreting Good Will

A family called me about one of my listings. They said they’d been preapproved for a mortgage but didn’t understand what their lender had told them. I invited them to my office. They were nervous and apologetic, saying they didn’t speak English well. So I put them in touch with a loan officer I trusted, and he was able to preapprove them for the home they wanted. It was the best experience ever, he told me. The client had cried with gratitude. Thirty days later, my new clients were homeowners. Since then, they’ve referred other Spanish-speaking families. They appreciated that I cared enough to help and said I’d made their dreams come true.

—Donna Hency, ABR, SRES, Main St. Real Estate, Warrenton, Mo.