Mixed Feelings

There are many mixed emotions at play when we help people buy and sell homes. I want to reflect on two: bittersweetness and joy.

Most people are at least a little sad when they sell a house. Some are moving out of state by choice. Some move after their spouse dies, or they are getting divorced, or they are going into assisted living. But even those who move for happier reasons are often a bit sad, too, as they close a chapter of their lives in order to begin another one.

Our job, as listing agents, is to help them navigate the complexity of the move and the sale — and to help mitigate that bittersweet feeling. We try to get the best possible results while balancing that with respect for any sadness the owners may feel.

A house is not just a container. It’s not just a building. It’s all the memories that lived there, which are so hard to let go. No matter how great — or not so great — a move our clients may be making, we are always aware and respectful of the feelings they are bound to feel.

On the other hand, sometimes helping a buyer is all about joy. The joy of hearing when your clients tell you how happy they are in their new homes! When you hear they had their first child or they got married in the house they bought, or when they tell you they are using the house just the way they thought they would. When they share the sheer happiness of seeing the kids choose their rooms in their new home on the final walkthrough. 

The excitement when you call your clients and tell them, “You got it!” 

This is why we do what we do, and why we love it so much. It’s the continual joy it brings to us — and to our clients.

So here we are, in the joyful times and the bittersweet moments, by our client’s' side, guiding them through these exciting and often challenging periods of their lives. We are all in, always.

Wishing you the very best feelings of joy, happiness and much love for 2024!