adminToday we went to inspect a house. With a realtor. Maybe it’s the house where we will live for at least the next 10 years and where Ollie will spend a lot of his childhood. But there’s always something very awkward about touring a house with a real estate agent.
I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but from the moment the realtor arrived, it felt like he was in somewhat of a hurry. And I say somewhat deliberately. Because on the one hand, he took the time to answer all our questions. At the same time, he kept giving us the feeling that he wanted to move on to the next room.
Why did he want to move on? We had scheduled a visitation for one hour. Or were there things in the house that he’d rather have us not see? Or was it just a feeling we had? By the way, feeling rushed wasn’t the only underbelly sixth sense that covered us.
Although the realtor answered every question that we had with seeming sincerity, there was always a bit of an undertone. As if he questioned all our questions. It had something to do with the tone of voice. Many responses were as if he wanted to put a question mark at the end of a normal sentence(?). -Read out loud. You see?
Other examples:
– Yes, the floor is a bit crooked here?
– No, there are no hidden secrets behind this wall?
– Yes, if you buy the house you can turn it into a disco?
You know what I mean? It makes me feel like everything I say or ask is absurd. And when I asked something that he didn’t understand, he didn’t respond with a semi-question. Instead, his whole face turned into a big question mark, which made me grasp for words and stutter.
Every time I’m with a realtor, I have the same feeling. Mandy does too. It probably has something to do with our personalities. In the evening, we can be full of confidence about our demands. The next day, it’s always as if we left our negotiation skills snoozing in bed. On the other hand, I think it’s a certain skill that realtors have that we lack. I think they have a way of speaking. A formula that makes people feel as if they’re dumb. Making people insecure.
Because when they have people in the corner they want, they can play them more easily on emotion. Instead of asking difficult questions, they’d rather have you dream about the possibilities. And that’s exactly what their job is. Sell a house that someone doesn’t want anymore. And at the same time, sell a dream to someone who is searching for their dream crib.
Here’s the thing. Although I’ve studied architecture, I also have to conclude that I don’t know a lot about building integrity and inspections. Now I’m wondering if I was a bad student or if the university was lacking in teaching the building fundamentals (I know how to make a scale model of a house, though!).
In comparison to realtors, I have to acknowledge that they are superior to me in building basics and, more importantly, as salesmen. With research, practice, and time, I might one day be as good a real estate salesman at selling dreams. But for now, I just want to realize my own dream. Seeing Ollie grow up in that house we saw today.