Micromanaging or Managing the DetailsWho doesn't love a well-organized real estate transaction, and who doesn't love when all the dates line up?  A contract has a whole calendar hiding inside it: earnest money deadlines, home inspections, association documents, appraisals, financing steps, and settlement. Every detail matters, and keeping track of them is part of doing the job well.So, what do I mean by micromanaging? It is not asking a question or checking on an important deadline. Buyers and sellers deserve updates, and I want them to know what is happening. Micromanaging starts when every answer is questioned, every date is checked repeatedly, and every step needs its own confirmation, even after the plan has been explained.A little follow-up can be helpful. A dozen follow-ups about... 10/08/2026

The Sweet Smell of RevengeI have written about this before but thought I would share it one more time.A couple was getting a divorce. The wife received a pretty good settlement; however, she was unhappy that he got the house. They agreed on how to divide their belongings and went their separate ways. She spent the first day packing her things and had movers collect them on the second day. On the third and final day, she sat on the floor of the house and enjoyed her last meal, which consisted of steamed shrimp, caviar, and champagne.She carefully cleaned the house and left, but not before stuffing the leftover caviar and shrimp shells into the curtain rods in each room, a petty revenge that added irony to the story.  The following day, the ex-husband and his new girlfriend happily moved ... 10/10/2026

The Gold Stars of Real Estate: What Are We Really Working For?October 7, 2026When I started in real estate, our office had two boards: one for listings and one for sales. There was no third board for settlements. Those two boards seemed to rule. Everyone wanted to be the top lister or top seller. The rewards could be small but exciting: a mention at a meeting, a blurb in company advertising, a sign naming you top agent of the month, or even your own parking space for a month.  I thought of it like a kindergartner collecting gold stars. Put the books away neatly, get a star. Turn in tidy homework, get another. In real estate, the star was a title, a trophy, a parking space, or recognition as number one. Those carrots can work. They keep people reaching for the next listing, sale, or mont... 10/07/2026

 The Most Powerful Thing You Can Do? Let Them Finish Talking.We have always known that listening matters. But lately, in difficult conversations, I have been reminded how powerful it can be to wait until the other person is finished talking. Completely. Even when you are starting to wonder, “Are you finished yet?”  Keep that question to yourself.When someone is upset, correcting them in the first ten seconds may feel satisfying. It may also give them a fresh reason to keep going. I have found that staying quiet, listening all the way through, and then answering calmly can change the direction of a conversation. Sometimes the right move is also to disengage, keep communication to email or text, and step away from a phone call that is going nowhere.In real estate, people can be worried ab... 10/11/2026