I’m currently in escrow on several homes. Two of the escrows are with the same clients. We are selling their house in Bolinas, and I got their home into contract when it was still in ‘Coming Soon’ status on the MLS. At the same time, my Bolinas sellers are buying a condo off the market in Novato. The Novato condo sellers and their agent are now also in contract on a Novato single family home that is also currently off the market. That makes three transactions, all of which were initiated before going active on the MLS. Only one even made ‘Coming Soon’ status. Everything will hopefully come together for everyone in early August when the escrows are scheduled to close.
The comforting thing is that I know all the agents involved, which helps tremendously. In my 19 year real estate sales career I’ve worked with a lot of people, including the agent representing the Novato condo sellers. Coincidentally enough I sold her clients the condo back in 2018, when I represented the previous seller. I had also helped my seller buy the condo in 2016. That means I’m on the verge of selling the same piece of property for the third time, which is a first for me. I gotta say, I like that condo and so do my clients!
The most important thing about putting these transactions together is the good faith that is shared by the agents involved. We know each other, have been in the business a long time, and all have excellent reputations. It can be challenging enough getting buyers and sellers together, and when one of the agents is a jerk the situation gets a lot more dicey. There are a few jerks out there who can be detriments to their clients. For example, I’ve met more than one buyer who won’t even look at a house if it’s listed by one particular agent. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to work with that agent either, but if I had a buyer who was interested in a house the jerk was trying to sell, I’d do my best to put a deal together.
There are a lot of Marin Realtors who read this blog, many of whom are newer in the business. There are a couple of very important lessons for them here. Number 1, don’t be a jerk. If you are, people aren’t going to want to work with you and you are going to have a difficult time making a living. Number 2, seek out off market opportunities for your clients. A lot of deals get done before properties hit the market. Knowing other agents and having good relations with them, you’ll be able to find those deals and put them together.