My husband says that I have acquired a taste for leather. In other
words, I put my foot in my mouth...a lot. I've done the classics like
asking a girl when her baby was due. She responded that she had the baby
a year ago, and then called me a %*#@*. Oops. And then there was
the one where I asked the woman if she had spilled something down the front of
her shirt. Nope. It was sweat. And there's the time when I
met my friend's brother for the first time. For some reason we started
talking about first names. I went on and on about how I despised the name
Darryl. The brother's name? Darryl.
These words do not come from a malicious place. They just come out.
I blame my dad. He was the King of Foot-In-Mouth-Syndrome.
Sitting in the stands with him watching my boys play sports was nerve
racking. Whenever he started to laugh under his breath we knew something
was coming. "With this kid pitching, we're going to be here all
day." Oh, great. That's his mom sitting right next to you.
Or the time at the grocery store when he said to the bagger, "Guys
our age need help out to the car." The bagger was 45. Then
there was the time that he asked the Colt's new quarterback what he thought of
Peyton's seven touchdowns (with the Broncos) in the last game. Ugh.
Then he turned to his wife and told her he loved her on The View.
Double ugh.
Early in my career, I learned the hard way that sometimes my slips could really
offend people. Yuck, this house is awful! "Really?
It's perfect for us." Why would anyone want to live on this
side of town? "This is where I grew up."
I tried really hard to keep my opinions to myself. I adopted the nod and
smile technique. This house has the master bedroom upstairs
and the others are in the basement. This will be perfect when we
have the baby. Nod and smile. Everyone in this
neighborhood is a senior citizen, but I'm sure they will love our six
kids. Nod and smile. The neighbor kids are throwing
rocks at cars. I'm sure this isn't how they normally behave. Nod
and smile.
Then I finally snapped. I couldn't keep quiet anymore. That's not
me! I needed to share my thoughts and opinions with my clients.
After all, that is why they hired me.
As a Realtor it is my duty to inform and point out all kinds of things:
How does your family live and will this home work for you now and in the
future? What is the commute really going to be like?
Will this be a community where your kids can safely run around and meet
friends? Does this neighborhood hold its value? Will this road be
widened into your backyard someday? What is going to be built on that
empty field behind the house? Is this home totally overpriced? Will
this sloped yard accommodate your future pool? Will this "simple
fix" end up costing you thousands of dollars?
Your Realtor should possess a level of knowledge and expertise about real
estate and be vocal about it. True, I've learned a thing or two about
making impulsive statements. Now I try to do it with a bit of style and
grace. Please know that I will always give my opinions, welcomed or not,
to help and protect you...even if your name is Darryl.
Accidentally Insult You Later,
Carrie
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