I know, I know. It is one of those pervasive statements in real estate. Everyone in the business says it.
Buyers are liars.
But, are they really? I don't think so. My buyers tell me exactly what they want, and then they buy it. When they don't, I eventually figure out I'm not listening. Occasionally, I figure out that they really don't know what they want... or maybe they know, but just don't know how to communicate it.
Usually, when I fall back on the "Buyers are liars" line, I find out that I am putting my desires in place of the buyer's desires. That might be the toughest thing to stop. I have to take off the "Lane glasses" and get back to being a conduit for my client.
Here are some of my filters...
How could anyone want less than a two car garage.
Twisty driveways suck.
Kitchen appliances come in three colors, black, stainless steel, and "in need of replacement."
TVs, even flat screens, do not belong above the fireplace.
While I have a reason for every one of them, my buyer's might not feel the same way. I have to constantly STOP filtering my clients desires through mine. It is human nature to put our own spin on what we see and hear.
Oddly, they stop lying to me when I start listening to them again. I think I get better at this every day.
Feel free to drop in to my new website and take a look. I'd love to hear your reactions. It's still under construction, so pardon the dust.
3 comments:
What a great way to look at things, you are so right, we often make assumptions that are all wrong.
I remember once referring to a house that had purple carpet as the "purple house", and I was being a little derogatory about it. It was the home my client bought...it taught me to know that my taste and my client's tastes are not alike; nor should they be! He happened to like purple carpet.
Thank you for posting, Thesa and Joanne. I appreciate the comments.
One of my buyers named a house "the dead guy house"... he wasn't dead, but sleeping like he might have been... on the couch... in his boxers... despite me calling and talking to his wife to let her know we were on the way.
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