by: Brian North photo by: Stephanie Ringleb Photography I have completely fallen in love with real estate again. There was a time that, due to my lack of discipline, I allowed real estate to control my life. It had positive and negative effects. In hindsight, I might trade some of the bad for the good, but such is life. It is those failures that are the gifts that allow us the knowledge to forge forward more elegantly and maturely. As Oprah says, “Know better, do better.” Yesterday was one of those days you dream about in real estate. Well, one of those days I dream about. First, I was holding an open house on a $4 million listing, in the target geographic market I’ve been working towards my whole career, on a great street in a crazy market, the weather was perfect, the house was shiny, and 30 of you all came to support. WOW! Second, I was able to get a buyer in escrow. What?! I won one! My favorite part is when we can win and not be the highest bidder. By asking questions, finding hot buttons, building rapport, trust, and assurance that we would close, and crafting terms that would allow us to do so – we got the deal and paid the least of three final offers. More on that later. Those phone calls to your clients are the best. I mean, the best! Third, I took a call from a client I’d been working with for about four weeks. It went a little different than you might think but was the cap to an amazing real estate day. First, she was referred by a well-renowned architect (I never take it for granted), and second, her situation was sensitive to me. A single gal, nearing retirement, her life savings is going into her next move, and she’s seeking advice. For me, this is where the standard of care from a compliant and ethical standpoint is at an all-time high – but having been raised by a single mother and seeing her taken advantage of over and over, those little hairs on the back of my neck sent me into protector mode. She wants to sell her “tired” hillside, 2,100 square foot home with 280º views, and build a 1,500 square foot “glass box” on a quirky hillside lot. Now, this is cool. I love cool houses, and this is going to be a treasure hunt. So I walk the house with her and discuss all of the things she should do for the current home to get ready for resale, and what not to do that may look cool, but not get a return on investment. I show her the value of her home, by literally comping the home in front of her. I offer her multiple strategies to sell her home for the most money, and discuss selling, then renting, and then building. It’s a three-hour listing appointment. As I’m driving home, I’m thinking…she lives in a square-lined home, on a quirky lot, with see-forever views. Why wouldn’t she just keep the house, add massive amounts of windows, and stay in the place she actually wants to be? So, I call to follow up as to how she’s been processing the Encyclopedia Brian North Real Estate version that I left her with, and she is emotional and confused. So I said, “What if you stayed? Keep your house, consider converting your home into the home you want – but we can eliminate the search for a $1 million hillside lot (low price for the area), for a 1,500 square foot house, and the thrill of thee-year construction and process – and you can turn your tired home into the perfect home on the lot you have. She told me that she felt relieved at our conversation. That she trusted me. If she ever were to sell, I’m her professional, and she would refer anybody who might be in need. She was excited about her house, her view again, and couldn’t wait for the research and design to begin. What a feeling. Did I get paid?! YES! I got paid the richest payday one can ask for. I got paid in soul food. The nourishment that all of us should be seeking daily. The good comes with the bad. If I want the bad to go away, the good goes with it. Love is in the holistic nature of the relationships we have. Love all of what you do whether you get paid or not. Give freely from the heart, and get soul food in return.