364: How to Handle Losing a Client

You win some, you lose some. So why does losing one always feel like it means so much more?

This week we get into what happens after the deal falls through, the client picks another agent, or a friend quietly lists their house with someone else. We talk about the "one day rule" a friend taught us for grieving a lost deal, and why real estate karma means the good and the bad even out over time if you let it.

We share the moment a nervous friend told us she wasn't hiring us, and why we've learned to respond with grace instead of guilt-tripping. We get into the client who broke the news she was moving out of state over text, the ones who ghost instead of confronting you, and why the people who face you directly deserve to never regret it. We also cover the awkward reality of splitting business between two agents in one household, the ChatGPT trick for cooling down an angry email before you hit send, and a listener's story about a "shopper" who keeps circling back without ever committing.

Then we tell the story of a seven figure deal that turned into a $70,000 condo, then into no deal at all, and how walking away with honesty turned into a stream of referrals instead. And we close with the story of an eight year strained friendship that got repaired with one honest text message.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

Why we believe in real estate karma and how it evens out over time

The "one day rule" for grieving a lost deal and moving on

What to say when someone nervously tells you they're not hiring you

Why business gets messier when it's built on relationships, not just transactions

The client who confessed she was relocating out of state over text

Being the icebreaker when a client lists with someone else and never tells you

How to handle it when a buyer's spouse already has "his" agent