Why Walking Away Can Be Profitable
Every great salesperson closes deals. That's our job.
But have you ever not closed one? Or told someone, “Eh, maybe don’t do it”?
A few years into real estate, a client referred a buyer and said, "I'm sending him your way because he hates pushy salespeople, but trust me, you will need patience with him."
That was an understatement.
We saw every one-bedroom condo on the West Side. He analyzed everything. He read all of the offering plans for each building. That's a 500-page document. I don't even think the attorneys really read them.
Eventually, one year later, we found an apartment. I thought it was a solid choice, except for one issue: the location was slightly off, and an empty lot next door could one day affect his view. But he loved it. He wanted to move forward. We got an accepted offer.
Two weeks later, right before signing, he called me. "Denise, I'm not sure, what should I do?"
Now, part of me wanted him to buy something, but another part, the good human part, was more concerned with his happiness.
We talked through everything. I said, "Sleep on it. If your gut still says no tomorrow, we'll walk."
He backed out the next morning.
The sellers weren't thrilled, and the brokers were screaming at me on the phone.
But a few weeks later, the perfect apartment came on the market, and we bid on it right away. He didn't even read the offering plan.
And since then? He's referred every single person he knows to me.
That deal I lost turned into the most profitable deal I never closed.
When you put people first, the results usually follow. Not always right away, but when they do, it's better than anything you could have pushed into happening.
