I know that some of you may find this hard to believe, but sports officials don’t care who wins the game.
Whenever I step out on the floor, no matter which two teams are playing, I could care less about the outcome. There are plenty of people– fans, players, coaches, etc., who have a vested interest in who wins and loses, the officials don’t. The official’s responsibility is to make sure that the game is played according to the spirit and letter of the rules, so that all participants are safe and have a fair chance to compete. While players, fans and coaches are advocates for their team, the officials are advocates of the game itself.
Not caring who wins is great for officiating, but not so much for real estate. In real estate, I wouldn’t be representing my clients very well if I didn’t care whether or not they were successful. The tricky thing about this is that, while I do care if my client is successful, I also know that success for my client need not necessarily come at the expense of the other party. While sports may require a win/lose, REALTORS must search strive for a win/win. If I am trying to bring about a win/win transaction, then the end result for my client will be success.
To help illustrate my point, I want to share with you a post written by Greg at the BlueRoof.com Blog. He wrote about the number of homes that people should see before they buy. It is a great post, but I want you to notice how it ended:
My wife and I bought the third home we looked at and it’s been the best home I’ve ever owned. We decided on what we were looking for and when we found it we bought it. We called the listing agent and said we’d wait for the agent to get there and the owners to come home. We sat right there at the kitchen table and wrote the offer with the sellers and their agent. Full price, and we worked out dates that worked for everyone. Win/win- that’s the right way to buy a home. (emphasis added)
Greg is exactly right. Not only is win/win the best way to buy a home, but it is also the best way to sell a home. No one, neither buyer nor seller, wants to go through an acrimonious real estate transaction. Too many times, people believe that the only way for them to get what they want is at the expense of the other party. This simply is not true. The nature of negotiation is that two parties work together to achieve a mutually beneficial result. This means that sometimes each party must concede one desire in order to fulfill another. The real estate transaction is multi-faceted negotiation, and there is room for everyone to get the things that they need and want.
Working towards a win/win also highlights the need for a good pre-game plan. The only way to get what you want is to know what you want beforehand. You should also decide which things you are willing to live without, if need be. This way, you know going into the transaction the things that you are willing to concede in order to get what you truly want. Doing this type of pre-game inventory of the things that are important and not-so-important will help you work towards a win/win transaction.
In real estate transactions, as well as in sports, emotions can run high. There is usually a lot of money at stake, and everyone has a vested interest in the outcome of the transaction. Sometimes, the emotion and high stakes can lead people to view the transaction as a win/lose situation. This is a dangerous viewpoint. The better way to look at the situation is to search for the win/win. In the long run, the win/win is what everyone wants, whether they admit it or not.
When I put on the stripes, I don’t care who wins. When I practice real estate, I want everyone to win. That may make being a Real Estate Zebra tough, but it also makes it worthwhile.
Technorati Tags: real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, officiating, negotiating, win/win, Al Davis, buying a home, selling a home
