Saying “I screwed up” actually increases your power.
In all these posts, I present myself as a highly competent individual with the skills and power to help you have a great real estate experience.
And that’s exactly what I am.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t screw up.
Just this week, I was helping renegotiate a deal. It was all agreed to verbally, and I sent an email summarizing everything to the seller. He gave it a thumbs-up. I forwarded it to the buyer—who caught the typo.
I had mistyped the price. Off by $45,000. In the wrong direction (for him).
I had already caught the mistake and was confirming it with the seller when the buyer called.
I know the seller, and I was confident he’d honor what we agreed to. But still—it was my mistake.
I got it sorted. Everyone’s happy.
Because I was upfront about it, everyone involved walked away with more respect for how I do business.
I didn’t pretend it didn’t happen. I didn’t try to fix it quietly later if it didn’t just slide by. I owned it.
Now look at the world outside real estate.
During Covid, we were told to wear masks and take vaccines that were “safe and effective.” It turned out the masks didn’t work, and the shots weren’t exactly either safe or effective (to put it very charitably). But that didn’t stop people from trying to ruin your life if you didn’t comply.
Before that, there was the story about how a Certain Guy conspired with a Certain Country to rig a Certain Election. That turned out not to be true—and now it’s looking like the opposite might be closer to reality. But if you didn’t agree, or you expressed support for the Wrong Side, some people were ready to torch your life.
Were there bad actors behind both? Of course.
But on a personal level, it was mostly just people who trusted the wrong people and repeated what they were told. And maybe were a bit too self-righteous.
If they had just said,
“You know what? I was wrong. I believed the wrong people. I’m sorry,”
Most of us would’ve moved on.
But that’s not what they do.
They gaslight: “I never said that.” Or they double down: “I wasn’t wrong!”
Does that earn your respect?
Nope. It just makes you never want to rely on them again.
All it takes is a little ownership.
I mess up all the time. But I always own it. And I always fix it if I can.
Usually, that ends in great results—or at the very least, a decent experience.
When you’re ready for me to screw things up for you, I’m here.
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