Real Estate Karma

Win-Win or Win-Lose?

Old-school real estate often prescribes to the "win-lose" philosophy - meaning one side of the transaction wins while the other side loses.  One of the aspects of Keller Williams Realty that I appreciate the most is their "win-win" philosophy - their belief that no side in a real estate transaction need be the loser.


Opportunities Abound

In any real estate transaction, whether the agent is representing the buyer or the seller, there are multiple opportunities.  Unfortunately, many agents with that old-school mentality look at these opportunities as a time to "put the screws" to the opponent and gain some perceived advantage for their client.

I prefer to look at these opportunities as a time to do the right thing.

"In business, as in life, the most important thing is to build strong relationships and to try to do right by others.  If this is accomplished, then the money, in business, and the karma, in life, will take care of itself."

-Keith Smith, Realtor®

Yes, that's my quote and I'm sticking to it.  I'm a huge believer in the Golden Rule and always have that time-tested adage in mind when working with clients and customers - clients being the people you're representing and customers being the folks on the other side of the table.  A good agent should possess the same qualities in business as a good person does in life - applying the Golden Rule equally to all concerned parties, and not only to the parties in which the agent sees some financial gain.


Find a Good Agent (Person)

If you feel that an agent that you may potentially work with is a good person, then chances are they will probably prove to be a good agent as well.  It can be hard for clients who are not well-versed in the business of real estate to judge who the good agents are.  However, we all have a strong sense of intuition or our "gut feeling" - trust it.

If you work with a qualified agent who has a "win-win" philosophy, then you're bound to either buy or sell at a fair market value, enjoy an experience that is as stress-free as possible, and feel good about how you were represented in the transaction.

At the end of the day, we all want to sit at the closing table and be able to look the other side in the eye and extend an honest handshake, knowing that we did the right thing.  That's what the "win-win" philosophy is all about.


-Keith Smith, Realtor®