In the Trenches: An Indecent Proposal, That Didn't Hurt One Bit, and Keep an Eye on the Kids

An Indecent Proposal

Abbreviations and acronyms abound in real estate. There is one in particular that got me in trouble. One afternoon I called a client and told her that I wanted to get together with her after work so she could look at my P&S, meaning the purchase and sales agreement. She suddenly became silent and abruptly hung up the phone. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why she hung up on me. Two minutes later, her husband called me back laughing. He told me that his wife thought I was propositioning her to “get together so you could look at my [insert male body part here].” I cleared up the miscommunication on the spot, but from that moment on his wife hasn’t been able look me in the face or help but blush every time she sees me.
—Scott Gordon, a broker with Crescent Realty Group, Hanover, Mass.

That Didn’t Hurt One Bit!

I met some prospective clients at a home they called my office about, and I was determined to make a great first impression. But as I escorted them into the house, I immediately fell down the basement stairs that were right off of the entryway. Mind you, I was wearing a short skirt at the time. I slid down the stairs on my knees and landed at the bottom in a compromising position. As embarrassed as I was, I quickly jumped up and exclaimed, “I’m fine! Looked worse than it was!” My legs were aching but I continued with the showing. When I was done showing the home, the prospects jokingly told me to be careful on my way out. As I approached the door, I took the same fall for the second time! Again, I jumped up quickly, downplaying the situation, and laughed as I tried to convince the prospects that I didn’t drink my lunch. We stood in the driveway to part ways and I smiled, trying to act as though everything was just fine, when one of the prospects pointed out, “You have blood running down your legs!” Little did they know I would be in absolute pain for two full weeks. Amazingly, they ended up purchasing a home through me without any further incidents.
—Jennifer Foradis, a sales associate and relocation specialist with Prudential Select Properties, Mentor, Ohio.

Keep an Eye on the Kids

I was showing a vacant house to clients and their two young kids, ages 4 and 5. The 5-year-old found a baseball lying on the ground and threw it towards me from about 20 feet away. I was so busy reading off the amenities on the MLS sheet that I didn’t see it coming. The ball hit me hard in a place that made me drop like a rock to the ground and cry like a baby. It was a very awkward situation because my clients couldn’t figure out what to say to me with tears running down my face. It took awhile for me to regain my composure, but finally I was able to stand up and continue showing the home. I have since learned to always keep an eye on the kids when showing homes.
—Gary Kolar, a sales associate with RE/MAX Legends, Alta Loma, Calif.