“My grandmother died. And I took it really hard.” I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I hear college students uttered that phrase to their professors. A student does poorly on the final exam. They blame their grandmother passing. They cross their fingers, hoping the professor either bumps their grade or gives them a “do over”. If I were a grandmother, final exams would scare me to death! Once those exams roll around, my chances of dying increase dramatically. Revolting. But I’m shocked to learn that the “dead grandmother” excuse continues. I was having coffee with my friend, who is also a real estate agent. He begins his tale of the “dead grandmother”. He is sitting in his office. Next to him is another agent. The metrosexual type. The agent brags about the weekend’s conquest. How hung over he is. We’ll call him Justin. Justin’s [...]

Every single time I think the real estate industry is moving forward, gaining a bit of trust in the eyes of the public, some nincompoop screws it up. Saturday afternoon. My clients and I stop by an open house. Being the polite dude that I am, I let my clients enter the home first. Standing by the door is an agent. He is easy to spot. The name tag is a dead giveaway. Next to him is another person wearing a suit. This would be the lender who is working the open house with him. Granted, I didn’t look like a real estate agent. After being repeatedly told by a few clients, I abandoned the dress shirts and ties. Casual is my modus operandi. And I definitely don’t wear a name tag. I introduce myself and my clients to the agent. He goes into his schtick about the house. [...]

“Can you please help me?” my client asked. Her face dripped with exasperation. She was at the end of her rope. Let me back up here. My client and I scheduled a Tuesday morning meeting. I’m sitting in a coffee shop, having some coffee and reviewing my notes for the day. I love coffee shop meetings. My client arrives, looking like she’s running for her life. “What’s wrong?” I ask. She was driving through a neighborhood. She noticed a “For Sale” sign in the front yard of this cute home. She did what has become the norm. She pulled out her phone to get more information. Her app of choice: Zillow. I have nothing against Zillow. People should use the tools that they feel most comfortable using. Wanting more information, she put her contact information and hit the submit button. That’s when all hell broke loose. Zillow is [...]