What Makes the Third Time a Charm in a Multiple Offer Situation?
As a certified life coach, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the last twenty years is the importance of knowing what you want, creating a plan and asking for support to make it happen. In my first ten years as a life coach, the best I could do was ask clients what they wanted, create a basic plan and provide unwavering support to them in their search for the right home. It was during this time that a powerful experience with a client took my process – the Total Real Estate Experience – to a whole new level.
Lisa and Lorenzo were newlyweds and had been living in Lisa’s rented condo for the last year. The connection between us was easy, lovely and the trust level high.The three of us met, made a list of items on their wish list and a created plan to get them pre-approved for their loan.
“This is odd. My clients are ready, willing and able, yet we’ve missed out on two houses.” I was so intrigued by this situation that I decided to do a coaching session with my mentor, Lynn Stewart, to explore if there was something I was doing or not doing that was somehow getting in the way of them having what they wanted. It was during this coaching session that Lynn asked me the $64 question: “What is the purpose for your clients wanting to make a change in their living situation?” I had no idea. Then a light bulb went off and I realized that there was more to clarity than making a wish list! With that, we started an depth exploration into the process of manifesting, and I left that session with a new and improved process with which to support my clients. To this day, the Total Real Estate Experience is the signature process I take each of my clients through and was the topic of each month’s Vision Matters section in 2021.
Excited about the prospects of transforming my clients’ experience, I suggested that we take a step back and asked if I could meet with them separately to revisit their visions.
I first met with the husband, and we started off by exploring his purpose for purchasing a home. Remember, the purpose is that intangible motivation that makes you genuinely want to move towards making something happen. For Lorenzo, he explained that as a child he lived in small village where there was a lot of open space to roam, run around and play.
As soon as their financing was in order, we were off looking at houses. Then something happened that got my attention. After looking at everything on the market we made an offer on a home they liked, and we didn’t get it. Then it happened a second time, and I remember thinking to myself, “This is odd. My clients are ready, willing and able, yet we’ve missed out on two houses.” I was so intrigued by this situation that I decided to do a coaching session with my mentor, Lynn Stewart, to explore if there was something I was doing or not doing that was somehow getting in the way of them having what they wanted. It was during this coaching session that Lynn asked me the $64 question: “What is the purpose for your clients wanting to make a change in their living situation?” I had no idea. Then a light bulb went off and I realized that there was more to clarity than making a wish list! With that, we started an depth exploration into the process of manifesting, and I left that session with a new and improved process with which to support my clients. To this day, the Total Real Estate Experience is the signature process I take each of my clients through and was the topic of each month’s Vision Matters section in 2021.
Excited about the prospects of transforming my clients’ experience, I suggested that we take a step back and asked if I could meet with them separately to revisit their visions.
I first met with the husband, and we started off by exploring his purpose for purchasing a home. Remember, the purpose is that intangible motivation that makes you genuinely want to move towards making something happen. For Lorenzo, he explained that as a child he lived in small village where there was a lot of open space to roam, run around and play.
Then when he was a teenager his parents moved their little family of 3 to the big city where they lived in a condominium with a small patio. This is where his little brother was born, and he remembers sadly how his little brother didn’t have the same opportunity to roam around, explore and play, that he did. Now, sitting in the living room of his current condo, he was able to connect with just how important it was for him to provide his children with a home that has a nice yard for them to play and is in close proximity to a park. We then moved on to refine his vision list.
Next, I met with the wife and took her through the same process. For Lisa, the purpose was quite different. For her, she realized that the condo they were living in was hers with her furniture, linens, art work, etc. and what she wanted was a home she and her husband could call theirs. A home they could choose together. We then proceeded to refine her vision list.
After typing up their purpose and vision statements, I brought them back together and asked them to share their purposes with each other.
It was so moving listening to them share their purposes with each other. It took our experience to a deeper level, both between the two of them and the three of us. When it came time to share their vision lists with each other, there was no conflict whatsoever in what they wanted. They were completely aligned. They were clear, I was clear, and I could feel it in my bones that the right house for them was right around the corner. And wouldn’t you know it, two days later, Lisa texted me about a home that had just come on the market. After looking at it on my computer, I realized it was underpriced and we needed to go see it right away. It was a perfect fit! It had a large back yard and was walking distance to a park! It was also in move-in condition, another criteria on their vision list. The home was such a perfect fit that they we went straight back to their place and made an offer significantly higher than the list price, even though there weren’t multiple offers. Our strategy was to make a compelling offer in the hopes the seller would choose to not risk such a great offer by waiting until after the first caravan and open house. Not only did we get the property at the price we offered, but it ended up appraising substantially higher than our offer! The moral of the story is that there is magic and magnetism in clarity!
I will be dedicating the next few months of this year to sharing more inspiring stories of clients whose clarity and willingness to engage in the Total Real Estate Experience brought about remarkable outcomes that exceeded our expectations.