It's all about timing - Why does this inevitably happen?

 

I typically try to be on time for all of my appointments.  However, I am typically BARELY on time or perhaps five minutes late.  My wife claims that I don't know how long I take to get ready (showering, etc.), but that's not exactly true.  I simply don't allow enough time to get ready before leaving the house.  So there.

At any rate, I arrived about 15 minutes early today for my showing appointment, which is rare for me.  I know that some of you reading this will disagree with me, but I feel like I am wasting my time if I show up too early.  So, while I was waiting, the phone rang, and it was my client calling.  It turns out that they were running late. 

Of course they were.  I could have predicted that.  In fact, I was there before they even left their home to make the trip.

That happens to me almost without fail.  If I arrive early, they are running 15+ minutes behind, and I get to hang out and wait while listening to the radio or making some calls.

However, in the instances when I am more than a couple of minutes late for whatever reason (maybe 10 or more minutes), those are the days that my clients will definitely choose to arrive 45 minutes early, and "just drive around the area". 

 

During their perusal of the neighborhood, they will develop a list of 5-9 homes that they would like to take a look at later, depending on the price.  Of course, being the consummate professional that I am, I promise to look up these particular properties to see why they didn't make it onto our list.  Maybe they are too high in price, or too small for their needs, or missing a bedroom, or inferior in some other way.  No matter what, I can guarantee that this will prove to be a futile endeavor, because I ALREADY MADE A GOOD LIST FOR THEM. 

Secretly, when they find these "gems", they seem to assume that I am hiding some of the current inventory from their curious eyes.  Perhaps I don't really want to sell a house at all.  Maybe I am a real estate hobbyist, not a full-time real estate broker supporting my family on this income.  What have I done with the past eleven years of my life?

No, instead I will provide the details for them to see why I didn't choose to show those in the first place.

 

I guess the moral of this post is to arrive on time for your appointments, but I am in no position to teach this, or to judge anyone else for their habitual tardiness.  Instead, just be prepared with a good book (or your wireless notebook) if you are too early, and be aware that you may end up answering a series of questions about unsuitable homes, or drainage patterns, or unkempt adjacent subdivisions if you are a few minutes late.

Thanks for reading!

 

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