A few weeks back I submitted an offer for some clients, who also happen to be my tenants and have become friends along the way. The listing agent called me to tell me a “slight counter” had been emailed over to me.

There wasn’t anything totally alarming on the counter offer, but there were items which could affect my clients and may increase the fees they’d be responsible for paying. I let the listing agent know that I’d be in touch with the Escrow officer he’d included on his client’s counter offer to make sure that this office would match or beat any of the fees which my title and escrow office had already disclosed to my buyers.

Seems reasonable, right? Protect the best interests of your clients and make sure that something as simple as changing the escrow officer won’t cost them more.

He lost it on me. Shouting… “Do you want to do this deal or what?!” “It’s just the escrow office, Anna! Let’s get this deal done!”

Now, if you know me, you know I’m not one to let anyone yell at me...particularly for doing my job and doing my job well. I stood my ground and let him know I was actually doing my job and I would hope he’d do the same should he find himself in a similar situation. After we hung up, I had this aching in my gut and I quickly realized it was about so much more to me than protecting my clients from added fees on their purchase.

“Let’s get this deal done,” he’d said.

The thing is, I’m not looking to make deals… I’m genuinely working for my clients and spending my days looking out for their best interests. For first time home buyers who are both anxious and nervous. For people who never thought they could own a home on their own or thought they’d have to achieve x, y and z before that could happen. For friends looking to invest their money into real estate so they can earn some passive income. For families looking for a home that serves as more than a roof over their head, but as a place to create memories.

Because does this family look like a deal to you? Or does this little nugget running around in the first home she’s going to have memories from, look like a deal to you? They’re friends first, clients second and they’ll never be about a deal to me. And I certainly hope whomever you choose to align yourself with when you’re buying or selling something as big as real estate, doesn’t treat you like a deal.

**Disclaimer, those pictured herein were not the clients associated with this listing agent... the listing agent on the home they purchased actually called me after and thanked me for caring about what I do, and thanked me for finding the perfect buyers for his personal home.