Aggressive and stubborn I can deal with. Unreasonable and immovable? Not so much.
A few years back, I sent a batch of letters to landowners hoping to pick up listings.
Can’t remember if I got anything from that run, but I do remember one landowner telling me she wasn’t interested — now or ever.
I remembered it because a while later, I saw the tract pop up on the market.
Guess she changed her mind.
No problem there — happens all the time. The guy who got the listing was a friend of mine who grew up in that area. He knew the family. It made sense they’d go with him.
Honestly, I was glad she’d told me she wasn’t interested. Even if she’d changed her mind, I wasn’t really in the running. In this business, most people have their agent in mind before you ever get a chance to make a pitch. It saved me a lot of time and effort.
Especially after what I learned later.
The property was listed around $6.5M. Price didn’t seem crazy. I even showed it to a few clients, though it wasn’t a fit.
It went under contract a couple of times before falling out. I called my broker friend to see what was going on.
He said there were minor easement issues — nothing fatal, but they’d take time to clean up. The kind of thing that might warrant a small price adjustment, but maybe not at all for the right buyer.
The real problem?
Zero flexibility from the sellers.
Need a little extra time? Tough. Close or don’t.
Want a price adjustment? Double tough.
It was the time part that stuck with me. Like I’ve said before: at higher price points, buyers usually want all the hair cleaned up. And it’s often worth it if you trust them to close.
I get holding out for your number. But if it’s clear the market won’t bear it, sometimes it’s smarter to wait than to keep burning daylight.
That listing eventually expired. Expired listings can be a good source of business — but did I chase it?
Not a chance.
Today, I saw it come back on with a new broker. At $7.6M.
I’m not holding my breath. But at least I’m not banging my head on the wall either.
As I said the other day, it can make sense to list a little above market on land. “Market” is fuzzy, and it’s always moving.
And if you’re my client, you’re always in control. My role is to give you the information, answer your questions, and try to help you get where you want to go. Not steer you into doing what I think is best.
But there’s a difference between being aggressive and being a stick‑in‑the‑mud seller who wastes everyone’s time.
If you’re in the first camp, you’re probably my kind of person and we should talk when you’re ready.
Just click below.
If you’re in the second, I’d rather not waste either of our time.
I’m sure you can relate.
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