How 3 agents went way, way above and beyond for their clients
Every agent knows there's more to the job than pulling comps and showing homes. But sometimes closing a deal takes an exceptional level of service.
Key points:
- Serving clients often comes with unexpected tasks, but in some cases, those tasks go far beyond the norm.
- Going the extra mile, or several miles, can be worthwhile when a deal is on the line.
- Helping out simply because you can has its own rewards.
Real estate agent responsibilities are pretty clear cut. In theory, that is. You research comps and market conditions, show homes, hold open houses, and help coordinate appraisals and inspections. And all the other stuff in between.
But anyone who has worked as an agent for very long knows there are sometimes "above and beyond" tasks you end up taking on to help out your client and move the deal forward: You edge sidewalks and power wash patios. You arrange airport transportation for out-of-state buyers.
And sometimes, "above and beyond" becomes "far, far above and beyond."
These three agents went the extra mile — and then some — for their clients.
Meeting expectations, even when they're not the norm
In the early days of the pandemic, Anne Meczywor showed a house to the parents of an adult child who was eager to escape New York with their family. The buyer purchased the house sight unseen and wrote into their offer that they wanted all the furnishings. The seller, who Meczywor represented, agreed with just a few items excluded.
Everything was great — until closing day. Meczywor, broker associate at Roberts and Associates Realty in Lenox, Mass., did a final walkthrough with the parents, and they were... livid. Initially, Meczywor couldn't figure out why. Turned out, the parents wanted everything — not just the furniture but also the towels, pillows, dishes, brooms, toilet paper — everything.
"I told the buyer's agent to give me three hours," she recalls. She knew her office had a nearby condo listing that the seller didn't want to clean out. She made a quick phone call to verify and then flew into action, emptying every cabinet and closet. She packed up silverware, linens, cleaning equipment and products, even pencils and notepads. She made a quick stop at Target to fill in a couple gaps: pots and pans and a welcome mat, then back to the house to ensure "everything" was in place.
"The funny part? The two dwellings had the identical color scheme, light blue and burnt orange," recalls Meczywor. In the end, the buyer's parents were happy that the house was literally move-in ready, and the condo seller had next to nothing to clear out.
"It was a match made in real estate heaven," she says.
Her home was their home
Jeanne Dominguez went above and beyond for her clients — and then went even further.
Now an associate at RE/MAX Connections in Carlsbad, Calif., Dominguez was the listing agent for a Chicago-area home. The owners were divorcing.
During the home inspection, mold was discovered in the attic, likely caused by ice dams. Dominguez and a roofer shared costs to put a new roof on the home — to be reimbursed from the proceeds at closing. A generous offer, for sure. But the story doesn't end there.
"The husband and wife had no place to go until we could find them a new place to live," she says. Her own children away at college, Dominguez invited the divorcing couple and their teenage daughter to live with her — for more than six weeks.
The family finally moved out when she found each of the parents their new, separate homes. Says the veteran agent: "They all lived happily ever after."
Giving a client a much-needed break
Sometimes a person simply needs a helping hand. Kendall Butler had one of those clients.
The woman was behind on her mortgage payments, so Butler, owner and broker at F.L.I. Properties, a boutique brokerage operating in Georgia and Alabama, made three months of payments for her. She then paid for necessary repairs to the home to get it market ready.
"My client sold at top price instead of getting foreclosed on," says Butler. "She was able to sell with a large profit and pay off all her debts."
Butler acknowledges that she could have purchased the woman's home at a discounted price. But she empathized with the seller and wanted to help her out. "She had [been through] a rough divorce and has a special-needs son. I knew she needed a break."
Going the extra mile doesn't always mean a better commission or guaranteed referrals, but for some agents, it just feels like the right thing to do. As Butler put it, "I chose to help because I could."