I’m not above taking a little less to get the trash out of my life faster.
I was talking yesterday about how the only sane way to do business is to only work with good clients. You have to get rid of the bad ones who waste your time.
People love the idea of “firing a client.”
They picture some dramatic moment where you slam a folder shut, stand up from the table, and announce you won’t be treated that way.
The truth is a lot quieter — and a lot simpler.
I’m pretty good at reading people, so it doesn’t happen often. But if I list a property and realize the seller is a flake, or dishonest, or just likes wasting people’s time?
If the property isn’t under contract, I fill out a termination form, sign it, email it over, and tell them it’s not working. Two seconds later, the contact is deleted from my phone.
But what if it is under contract?
Well, a closing ends the relationship too.
In that case, the smartest way to fire a bad client is to finish the deal, get paid, and then never work with them again.
That’s it.
No drama.
No speeches.
Just a clean exit.
(even if it “costs” you a little)
A while back, I had a couple of those deals where everything looked normal until the closing table.
Then the buyer pulled a last-minute stunt — trying to back out of a standard cost he’d already agreed to.
It’s always the same type of personality: someone who waits until the very end, when everyone’s time is spent, and tries to squeeze one last thing out of you.
Not because they need to.
Because they want to see if they can.
(if you’re in my business you’ve seen it too, and know what I’m talking about…but no need to name it)
A lot of people think the “strong” move is to dig in and refuse to budge. And yes, if I had pushed back, I probably would’ve “won.” The deal would have closed anyway and I’d have walked out with the full amount.
But here’s the part most people never account for:
The second he pulled that stunt, I knew I was never speaking to him again after that day. If we close, great. If we don’t, I’m pulling the listing.
And he might get sued by the buyer.
Not my problem.
If there’s even a 20–30% chance that kind of person blows up the deal, the expected value drops fast.
Option A:
Fight it out, maybe get $8,000, maybe get $0 — and never deal with them again. Other than maybe testify against them in court later.
Option B:
Pay a small amount out of pocket, guarantee the deal closes, walk away with (say) $7,000 — and never deal with them again.
It’s not a hard choice once you strip out the ego.
You don’t build a strong business by letting bad clients take up space.
You don’t build sanity by keeping people around who nickel-and-dime you.
And you don’t build a reputation by escalating pointless standoffs.
The smartest operators I know — in real estate, development, legal, construction, you name it — all do the same thing:
They protect their pipeline, not their pride.
A good client pays you in money, time saved, referrals, easier deals, smoother communication, and less chaos.
A bad client takes far more than they ever give.
So no, I don’t hesitate.
If covering a small cost gets the deal closed and gets the wrong person out of my world forever, that’s not weakness.
That’s strategy.
You don’t have to win every little battle.
You just have to win your time back.
Once you understand that, firing bad clients becomes easy — even when it means paying them to leave.
PS- You may not be ready to sell today, but wouldn’t it be smart to be prepared ahead of time?
I offer a free opinion of value on any property, along with market info etc. And no time wasting, no pestering you to hurry up, none of that.
Is it ever a bad time to start talking to a pro who will treat you the right way?
(and will have time for you because he doesn’t let bad actors mistreat him?)
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