The media’s focus on bad news often results in good news and good people going unnoticed. This is true in real estate, as well. One of the things I enjoy most about being an agent is learning about people because buying or selling a home often reveals a person’s true personality. My client (let’s call her Sam) revealed her true personality last night. I wasn’t surprised because she’s been my client for 17 years, but I never get tired of seeing people do the right thing. Here’s what happened:

Sam was selling her home and received two very good offers. We had told both agents that their buyers should come in with their best offers because Sam might just take the better offer right off the bat. When presenting their respective offers, each agent said there was a chance their client might be willing to pay a higher price if given the opportunity to do so. Sam could have given each buyer the opportunity to improve their offer and might have received a higher price had she done so, but instead decided to take the better offer without any further negotiations. Her reasoning was this: “We told them to come in with their best offers. They’ve both come in with very good offers. I like these buyers because they seem to love my home as much as I do and I’m very happy with their offer. I don’t want to play games with them and send them back just to see if they’ll pay a little more.”

How refreshing! Someone who sticks to her word and does the right thing even when faced with the opportunity of getting a higher price.  I’m not saying that what she did was dramatically heroic or newsworthy as she didn’t save any lives, but she made a young couple very happy and turned a situation that most buyers don’t enjoy into a pleasant experience. It was just a little deed, but these little deeds deserve to be noted and applauded. We need more of them. And with the ripple effect, I’m sure Sam’s good deed will come back to her somewhere down the road.