"When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”
- Dale Carnegie
The Bay Area's vast population of engineers, investors, and analysts would surely disagree, insisting we are highly logical creatures. After almost twenty-five years in real estate, I can assure you that Mr. Carnegie is correct; feelings invariably lead the decision-making. As an advisor to these decisions, my challenge is to discover clients’ unspoken motivations and meet their rational needs and their hidden emotional ones.
Most clients begin with logic, telling me how many rooms and square feet they want, referencing an acceptable location and price. I provide extensive analysis and insight into the housing market and offer a roadmap for a smooth transaction. But these are screening factors, narrowing the pool of properties for buyers, or setting expectations for sellers. The actual decision-making starts somewhere else entirely.
Every property, like every client, has a unique personality. Ultimately, it's the home’s energy is that resonates with buyers or sells a home, not the specs. By helping my clients articulate their home’s story or the story they aspire to, I assess real estate through their eyes. Inevitably a buyer enters the front door and I’ll see it on their face before they utter a word: this house feels like home.
Admittedly, I’m still sometimes amazed at how a property that does nothing for me personally resonates perfectly with someone else. Fortunately, there’s a seat for every saddle. I am here to find that fit.