Day I Lost a Listing

Because I Was Too Honest

The Cost of Honesty in Real Estate—and Why I'll Never Change

One of the things I've heard more than once during my real estate career is, "You're too honest."

Years ago, while working in Oregon, I met with a homeowner who wanted to list their property. I arrived with comparable sales, pointed out the home's strengths, discussed the issues that buyers would likely notice, and gave my honest opinion of its market value.

At the end of our meeting, the homeowner told me I was "too honest" and decided not to hire me.     That was okay with me.

I'd rather lose a listing than tell someone what they want to hear instead of what they need to know.

Another experience that has stayed with me involved buyers who made what we believed was a fair "as-is" offer on a home. The sellers rejected it rather bluntly. Months later, the property sold for less than the offer my clients had made.

Was I happy they sold for less? Of course not. But it reinforced something I've learned over the years: the market doesn't care about emotions—it responds to value.

I've also listed properties outside my immediate territory. Before accepting those listings, I did my homework. I studied the neighborhood, reviewed comparable sales, researched market trends, and learned everything I could before giving advice.

Over time, something interesting happens in this business. Experience develops into intuition.

I've had neighbors stop me while I was previewing a home and ask, "What do you think my house is worth?"

I'll usually ask a few questions:

• How many bedrooms and bathrooms?

• Approximately how many square feet?

• Any recent updates?

Then I'll say, "Without seeing the property or running the comparables, this is my ballpark estimate..."

More often than not, I'm surprisingly close.

It's not because I have a crystal ball.

It's because years of studying neighborhoods, reviewing comparable sales, evaluating condition, and watching buyer behavior create patterns that become second nature.

Experience teaches you to notice things others overlook.

That doesn't mean I'm always right. Real estate markets can surprise even the most experienced professionals.

What it does mean is that I don't rely on guesswork. I rely on experience, market data, and honest conversations.

I'd rather tell a client a difficult truth today than watch them face a bigger disappointment tomorrow.

Honesty may not win every listing, but it builds something far more valuable: trust.