Good morning!
The week is looking like it’s going to be a fun week. The real estate market here in Nashville isn’t exactly Rock’n & Roll’n, but it IS moving, and I can sense the momentum building. There’s even a hint of excitement in the air as we watch the inventory gradually decline and notice more and more Home Buyers sniffing around the marketplace.
The news of “home sales statistics” don’t paint a very nice picture because we’re something like 18% below units sold this time last year . . . but please understand that the statisticians are comparing apples to oranges. Last year’s numbers were artificially inflated as the impending end of the Buyer Tax Credit was aggressively stealing “future Buyers”.
This brings me to the theme of the day beginning with:
PAUSE – When the media catches wind of dramatic statistics like an “18.9% decrease in number of homes sold”, that becomes the title of the article . . . That’s what most folks read, make the assumption that the sky is still falling, and then move on to other headlines.
Don’t let your busy life keep you from discovering the real truth on issues that matter. So often, I see negotiations and relationships become strained and difficult solely because the parties were all too “swamped” to PAUSE long enough to think things through . . . and what ensues is a series of REACTIONS . . . spiraling down into a vortex of misunderstanding . . . and proving to be counter-productive.
LISTEN – Now that you’ve “Paused the game”, you can now turn your full attention towards the matter at hand (This doesn’t work very well unless you disable your cell phone and turn off the email).
It’s time to do your diligence. Clear your mind of any preconceptions or personal agendas and set yourself on a fact-finding mission. Without judgement, discover anything and everything you can relating to the issue at hand. Leave no stone unturned. READ – QUESTION – LISTEN!
Until you’ve done this, you cannot “graduate” to the next phase:
UNDERSTAND – Stephen Covey was the first person I heard say “Seek (Listen) to Understand!” Now that you’ve gathered all of the (Unfiltered by judgement) facts, you can begin to understand how things got to be the way they are. You can see and understand other folk’s opinions and positions. You may not agree, but understanding allows you to “agree to disagree” and move forward accordingly . . . even if it means using your 2 feet to take yourselves away from each other.
I believe that until we UNDERSTAND we cannot “leave” the issue. Regret, resentment, couldas, shouldas, and if onlys, will actually affect our health (negatively). Unless we understand completely, “moving on” becomes unlikely . . . and it festers and distracts and resurfaces any time we see someone or something that reminds of that un-closed door.
RESPOND – Only by heeding the 3 actions above will we have the capacity to respond (VS React). Our response can be confident, well-informed, genuine, complete, CLEAR, purposeful and intentionally well grounded (founded). When we RESPOND, we seldom have to clarify or recant our messages.
A response is a complete thought. It’s simply along the lines of: “I understand the matter at hand and have taken the time and energy to fully digest it and weigh it against my opinions, desires and needs . . . and given the people present and the timing of it, I am willing to commit to . . . ”
We simply cannot do better than that.
Where most folks derail their communication/relationship train as at the very beginning . . . Failure to PAUSE negates the possibility of any of the rest of this happening and is a clear communication that the issue does not MATTER to you (unimportant).
All that having been said . . . If you hear of anyone (Friend, Family, Work Associate, or family at the next table in a restaurant) talking about making a move . . . or discussing what’s going on the real estate market, have’m PAUSE and give me a call @ 568-2123 . . . I’ll then PAUSE and meet with them to LISTEN to their wants and needs til I UNDERSTAND . . . then we’ll RESPOND by taking action (Listing their house for sale and/or beginning the process of finding a new home.
Just sayin’
Best,
b
PS Pareto Realty continues to grow stronger and is quintessentially equipped to serve house Buyers and Sellers virtually anywhere 🙂