Here it is..part two of my blog regarding True Confessions....thoughts to share with other agents, potential clients and those interested in the (real)  life of a real estate agent.  These are thoughts I often have that I would like to blurt out at times...isn't that what a blog is for?

4.  Please be honest with me.  If you are considering listing your  house with me, and you chose someone else--please tell me!  You can be diplomatically honest and I want to know. It's like a job interview--when you tell me why I didn't get the job, I'll learn from what you say.  Same thing for buyers--if I give  you a few hours' time driving you around showing you properties (which I am happy to do one time before signing paperwork) and I contact you to follow up--please don't ignore me!  Just tell me you changed your mind, or you didn't think we clicked, or you're not ready--whatever the reason is, please give me the courtesy of a response. Although no one likes rejection, I'd rather hear what you honestly think.

5.  Don't be insulted when I ask 'have you talked with a mortgage lender?'.  The home lending business is quite different from what it was a year or two ago.  I am not asking because I want to know all the details of your personal finances. I am not asking because I doubt you are qualified to purchase a home.  I am asking for a few reasons:  are you comfortable with the payment you've been approved for?  do you plan on an FHA or conventional loan? do you have a sense of closing costs?  If you haven't visited with a lender yet, that's OK.  Don't be embarrassed or feel you have to rush out and do it. It's just something I need to know as we talk about the process and your plans to buy.

6.  I live this job every day..seven days a week. This is a fact for dedicated, service-orientated agents.  Please, listen to what I'm saying and know I'm telling you the truth, what the market is like right now, today.  Don't rely solely on what the national media reports, or what 'great deal' your friend of a friend got on a foreclosure, or the fact that your neighbor's house sold for full price in two days. Don't take it personally if your home needs some extra TLC or staging, if the recommended price isn't what you were hoping for, Every house is different, every market is different, selling in April is different than selling in November.  TRUST is vital in the agent-client relationship. If you can't / won't trust your agent, -- move on.

I may even be able to come up with a Part Three of True Confessions!  But that's it for  now.  Thanks for reading my blog--your feedback is appreciated.  Email me or visit my website, maryhutchison.org