In the life of a real estate agent, most transactions happen without incident. A seller and buyer come together, discuss terms, and viol`a, a house is sold.  (OK, it isn’t exactly as easy as that.)  But every now and then there comes a time when less than pleasant incidents occur, and I am reminded that life continues on through it all.

It has taken a couple of months to write about this as it greatly troubled me at the time it happened. Those who know me, including clients, know my motto is: “All things happen for a reason”. It has always been my belief that we are guided along through our lives, and that each decision we make helps shape our future. Those decisions affect those around us, no matter how minute.

I had a wonderful home listed – old, with a wrap around porch. It was waiting for that one special person who would fall in love with it and bring it back to life. Eventually, we found that buyer. Unfortunately, at the same time they presented their offer, another one came in at the exact same price and terms. Enter negotiations.

As often happens with multiple offers, I had to respond to both buyers asking them to resubmit their highest and best offer. As fortune would have it, the buyer that wanted to restore the home came in with the best offer. I knew both parties were anxiously waiting my phone call, so after the seller informed me of his decision on the “winner”, I immediately called the buyer’s agent to give the good news. To say he was ecstatic is an understatement – I was told how much his clients loved this home and how they were going to restore it to its former glory, and it made me really happy to know I was going to a part of a transaction that was about more than just a house. Having restored old homes in the past, I knew what kind of people these buyers were – passionate and loving.

The seller was out of town until the next day so we had to wait for final signatures before the deal was officially “done”. I spent the evening with my family, happy that this home was going to be loved again. When the phone rang late that evening, I answered it, which is not something I usually do. The person on the other end was the buyer’s agent, and he was clearly upset. Thoughts quickly went through my head – his clients had decided to pull out,  they wanted to change the terms, etc., but what he preceded to tell me had me in utter shock.

Immediately after we spoke earlier that afternoon, he called his clients to give them the good news. The buyers were so excited. They were so excited that Mr. Buyer decided to immediately ride over to the home to sit on the wrap around porch and dream about “his house”. What happened next seems only to happen in movies. On the way to the home, riding his motorcycle, traffic stopped suddenly. He was able to stop in time, but the driver behind him, who was not paying attention, didn’t. Mr. Buyer was hit, and even though he was wearing a helmet, was killed from the crash. The buyer’s agent was calling me from the hospital, as he was a good friend of the buyers and their family. After he finished telling me that Mrs. Buyer would have to pull their offer due to the accident, I told him I understood completely and would inform the seller that night. After I hung up, still stunned, my tears started flowing.  I called the seller, and between sobs, told him what had happened. Needless to say, he was also in utter shock.

As I said before, I believe everything happens for a reason, even if it is bad. I don’t know what the grand plan of life is, or why this happened, but what it does reaffirm is how much each decision we make, no matter how minute, can affect the lives around us. While I know I should not feel guilty about his death, apart of me wonders if the buyer would still be alive had I waited five more minutes before calling his agent. Can life’s path really be changed so quickly? My husband and family tell me it was not my fault, that is was meant to be. I know they are right. But through my eyes, it’s hard to understand how one simple phone call, that brought so much joy one minute, later caused so much heartbreak. You could go crazy trying to wrap your head around it.

So often I hear people dismiss real estate agents as vultures, only caring about making a “quick” commission. They just don’t get it.  We are so much more, and it takes a special kind of person to juggle the many hats real estate agents wear. In this case, I became a grief counselor, not only for my client, but for myself. I felt connected to the buyers through their love, excitement, and passion about restoring an old home. A house was bringing us all together.

So see, real estate isn’t just about a house, it’s about people. And even though we don’t realize it, we are all connected.

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