I suppose it is easy to cross professional boundary lines no matter what ones profession is. As a REALTOR I find that we have to be so careful as not to practice law, psychology or engineering.
Recently I have received a flurry of email commenting on the “structural” integrity of one of my listed properties. No doubt about it, this home has a slope in its floor, as do the other 57 townhouses in the complex in which this home resides. In fact the builder who put these homes up in 1974 says the slope was there from the get go. He also said they could never figure out the cause of the slope. In 36 years the slopes don’t seem any worse. Pretty much stable and this is my observation from actually owning and living in one of these homes.
So recently this flurry of feedback comes in worrying about the floors. I think here REALTORS who are NOT engineers should address their clients fears by suggesting a solution…an engineering study or home inspection and then either pursue the property for their clients or not as the client wishes. This isn’t always the case, often I hear slope and crack specialists lamenting in feedback to me about the structure of my listings. Don’t misunderstand me, I appreciate the feedback, it’s caused me to suggest to my clients that perhaps we should hire an engineer to nip this in the bud since I am not an engineer. I just think the feedback would be better taken if the REALTOR said, “The client is concerned with X issue or Y issue.”
Of course I need to remember not to take any of this personally which I sometimes do. I become defensive about my inventory, I think this is a result of becoming invested with my clients, I often feel that their homes are my homes.
Want to learn more about me, Michael Sullivan and my real estate practice? Visit me on the web at www.TeamMichaelSullivan.com
I am always happy to put my nearly 17 years experience in the Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill real estate market to work for you.
