This will not be a political rant on either party, but more of a high level takeaway of how last night’s debate relates to a real estate transaction. It’s funny what you can learn when you apply it to your own life:
1. The moderator was awful….your Realtor(R) shouldn’t be. Lehrer did nothing to stop the candidates from going on a rant, didn’t guide them back to the actual topic at hand (since when does “do you want to ask a question” turn into a monologue ) I thought of this in terms of your purchase or sale: ASK questions. Agents love to hear themselves talk, so make sure you get HEARD, whether it’s concerns or questions.
2. Sometimes you need to deviate from your bullet points. Both candidates obviously had talking points they didn’t want to sway from, but sometimes I think listening to the other person and adjusting would have made a stronger argument. I’m sure you’ll make a checklist of must haves in your next house, and that’s very helpful for guiding the process, however sometimes you may need to adjust something here or there to get the best property for you.
3. Campaigns are all about promises, so is an interview with a real estate agent. Last night was about laying out a plan to improve America, when you meet with an agent, you’ll lay out a plan for buying or selling a house. Make sure they follow through with the plan – did they promise to follow up with additional information? Schedule appointments? Don’t let the meeting be full of great plans with no follow up afterwards. (I’m not comparing Obama’s term or Romney’s plans….I find most campaigns to be full of promises and then those same issues are never to be heard of again).