Everyone says they want honesty.
They want honesty from their doctor.
They want honesty from their attorney.
They want honesty from their accountant.
And they definitely want honesty from their REALTOR®.
At least they think they do.
What most people actually want is validation.
They want someone to tell them their house is worth more than it is.
They want someone to tell them the inspection report isn’t a big deal.
They want someone to tell them they can buy more house than their budget allows.
They want someone to tell them the offer they submitted is brilliant and destined for success.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what they hear.
The problem is that validation feels good for about five minutes.
Reality tends to stick around a little longer.
The interesting thing is that after all these years in real estate, I’ve noticed that the most valuable conversations are often the least comfortable ones.
“Your home is probably overpriced.”
“This isn’t the strongest offer.”
“The buyers aren’t being unreasonable.”
“We need to make some repairs.”
“That neighborhood may not be the right fit.”
None of those statements are particularly fun.
None of them are likely to earn a standing ovation.
But they might save someone thousands of dollars, months of frustration, or a transaction that falls apart at the finish line.
The truth is that real estate is emotional.
People aren’t just buying and selling houses.
They’re buying hopes, plans, memories, expectations, and sometimes a healthy amount of ego.
That’s perfectly normal.
We’re human.
But emotion can make it difficult to hear things we don’t want to hear.
Especially when we’ve already convinced ourselves we’re right.
I’ve had clients hire me because I told them the truth.
I’ve also had people decide not to work with me because I told them the truth.
That’s okay.
My job isn’t to win every conversation.
My job is to help people make good decisions.
Sometimes that means delivering good news.
Sometimes it means delivering news that isn’t quite as exciting.
The funny part is that months later, after the dust settles and the transaction is complete, the thing people most often thank me for isn’t my marketing, my negotiation skills, or even my availability.
It’s honesty.
Not because it felt good in the moment.
Because it turned out to be right.
The best REALTOR® in the room is often the one least afraid of losing your business.
Because the person who is terrified of hearing “no” will often tell you whatever you want to hear.
The person who is comfortable telling you the truth is usually focused on something much more important:
Getting you to the finish line with your eyes wide open.
And that’s a very different thing.
Because everybody wants an honest REALTOR®.
Right up until they hear an honest answer.
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