Real Estate and Reston, VA: Silence is NOT Golden in Real Estate

There are times when we all wish for a silent phone or quiet house. I find my desire for silence usually follows very chaotic family events or holidays.

In a real estate transaction, however, there is nothing more stressful than silence.  Last week I wrote a post that looked at this issue a little bit differently, Are You Doing Your Job? about the importance of returning calls.  As the comments came in, Doug Rogers  made the observation that, 'Silence in this industry makes people nervous.'

I think Doug hit the nail on the head.

When I am working on a transaction and there are on-going negotiations, the absence of a response can make the issue seem to grow.  Have you ever been waiting for a  Home Inspection Addendum to be returned from the seller  and as you get closer and closer to the deadline you begin to think the worst? All of the sudden you feel certain that the deal is going to fall apart over the loose hose bib or damaged screen. We all know that this type of thing does not make a solid deal fall apart, yet silence from the seller can cause unnecessary anxiety for the purchaser.

Just this week, I was waiting for a response from my own client. When after 24 hours and several messages, I had not heard back, I became very worried that he was not going to move forward with the contract. It was a silly response, but while silence can be an effective negotiating technique, it can also send a message that is different than the one you might want to convey. I did eventually hear from him and the contract moved forward as expected.

Yesterday, I took a client out to look at homes. I began calling on Monday to schedule an appointment at one of the properties. It was not until Wednesday evening--and after leaving another message for the home owner and for the listing agent (who never did get back to me)--that I finally got a call back saying that Thursday morning would be okay. True or not, I am now left with the impression that there is some reluctance on the part of the seller to market her home. Silence from a seller might be because they are so busy, but with cell phones, it is hard to believe that a seller wouldn't notice that they have a Realtor calling them for 2 days (on both the land-line and the cell phone). And don't get me started on the agent who never responded...

Communicating with your sellers, even when you don't have anything new to report, can be the difference between having a listing that you get to settlement and brings later referrals and one that gets you a one-time paycheck and leaves the sellers with the feeling that you just did the bare minimum to sell their house.

I know I have been guilty of wanting to wait to respond until I have all of the information. It is always better to respond with a complete response, rather than with a partial one. But sometimes a quick call or text saying that you are still gathering the data can be a real relief to a nervous party on the other side.

Next time that you are in the middle of a transaction and you know the other side is waiting for your response, consider reaching out with a quick, 'hello, we will be in touch soon,' to let them know that there is nothing sinister going on.  You will feel better and so will the stressed out party on the other side!