It struck me as such a funny notion, though I realized it certainly reflected a concern for my feelings and my time. I told her of course I wasn't made at her.
So let's be clear about something: this job is not about my feelings. If anything, it is about my clients' feelings. Most importantly, it's about me fulfilling my clients' needs in either selling or purchasing (or leasing) a home.
Then let's be clear about another thing: it's very likely there will be a lot of feelings on your part about selling or buying a home. It is usually the largest transaction in anyone's life not to mention that changing homes is at the top of all those lists about what induces the most stress. Even when it's your dream home (or especially when it's your dream home) there are big feelings all around. You don't have to spare me your feelings. In fact, it will be more helpful for both of us if you share them.
Trust me, I'm a big boy and you have my full permission to yell at me, if that's what you need though, of course, I'd rather start at some level short of that. While certainly not my favorite experiences in all these years, I've been called a "thief" by one client and a "pimp" by another. Since I knew neither was true, I realized (after getting over the initial shock) that the name calling was a reflection of the pressure they were experiencing.
Okay, the guy who called me a pimp had a large cocaine problem which probably influenced his vocabulary. If the truth be told, he accidentally taught me one of the great negotiating lessons I've learned: silence. I was so shocked when he said it that I literally said nothing for about 20 seconds, at which time he blurted out what he really wanted to know: "When do you think the board of directors will agree to meet us?" (It was a co-op sale). Though by this point I suspected the real answer was "a year from never," I told him we were still trying to determine that.
Let's also be clear about another thing: the current markets in both Los Angeles and New York are filled with pressures, mostly because of the shortage of good properties. This is pushing up prices and resulting in constant multiple offer situations again. There is no shortage of qualified buyers and they are educated, see everything and know when a property is worth pursuing. They will likely be bidding against you. Or, if you're selling, it means we may have to sort through numerous offers and determine how to both get you the optimal price and select the buyer most likely to close. That's pressure; it's my job to dilute that pressure for you as much as possible.
The client who was worried I might be mad at her for not putting in a back-up offer was, however, very clear with me about her feelings: she told me she simply did not have the emotional stamina at the moment, especially in light of her grueling work schedule, to be disappointed a second time at not getting the property. I find this totally understandable. The bottom line is we are all constructed differently when it comes to our emotions; it's my job to figure out how to make your emotional make-up work for you in finding a home and not work against you.
So at this point, my job was about continuing to try to find the right home for her, as well as monitoring what was happening with the deal she lost out to. Sure enough, several weeks later that first deal did fall apart and we closed on it several weeks ago.
Most importantly, the more you tell me, no matter how foolish or irrelevant you think it might be, the more I can help you find what you want.
Okay, enough already with your needs, let's talk about what I need....
What I need is simple: I need you to tell me what you like, and what you don't like. It makes finding a home for you so much easier. Finding out your likes and dislikes is simply a part of the process of looking at homes. I need you to ask me all the questions that are on your mind. There are no dumb questions and no one expects you to be an expert at this anymore than they expect you to be an expert on the most recent tax codes when you go to pay your taxes. That's why you hire someone. In both New York and Los Angeles, transactions seem to become more and more complicated with each passing year because, as prices have risen, so has governmental oversight of the industry (this isn't necessarily a bad thing by the way).
And the only other thing I always need from you are your referrals; that is how I grow my business. It is of utmost importance for me to take great care of those clients referred to me by my clients and friends.
So, now that we've aired all our needs, I can't leave without at least a little bit of real estate porn:
Where The Wild Things Aren't...
The contract was just signed this week for the former apartment and, reportedly, studio of Maurice Sendak, a third floor Classic 5 Room apartment at 40 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village, which was asking $3,150,000.
I may actually still know the text of a number of Sendak's children's books by heart, since way back in time when children watched videotapes (and my son was around 4), we had a brilliantly done collection of them he'd received as a gift and, as those of you with children may know, they like to watch them over and over and over. Carole King wrote the music for several of them and this one was a big hit in our house.
As his stories illustrated, Sendak was by all accounts, if not a curmudgeon, certainly a contrarian. That's exactly why children love his stories. But contrarian or not, the guy clearly had superb real estate taste.
Sendak's third floor apartment has a Living Room with a woodburning fireplace, a formal dining room and two bedrooms and baths. There are views of the building's garden courtyard and of the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church.
Not only are the layouts at 40 5th Avenue (at the corner of 10th Street) classic, the building is, hands down, the the best building downtown. It was built as a co-op in 1929 and has always been maintained in the tradition of an Upper East Side white glove building.
Nice to know that whatever Sendak's inner demons may have been, they certainly had a lovely home.
Jamie Foreman
james4man@gmail.com
