It’s important to me to pull back the curtain and share the good, the bad, and the not-so-glamorous parts of real estate. The truth is: even when the numbers get bigger, the work doesn’t always get easier—and the payoff isn’t always what people imagine. Let me explain, and you can decide for yourself.
A few weeks ago, Zillow connected me with a seller in Fairfax who owned a custom home valued at over $2 million. I met with Mr. Seller several times, learned the home inside and out, and crafted a detailed, strategic plan for bringing it to market in the spring. The proposal included project-managing updates with trusted contractors, coordinating a month-by-month timeline from December through March, and leveraging every relevant luxury and agent-to-agent channel to position this home for maximum exposure.
Then, this past weekend, I received an unexpected email—from Mrs. Seller, who wasn’t on the title and had never been introduced as a decision-maker. Her message, in short, was: “You’re talking to me now.” So we sat down together on Monday, and I walked her through all the materials, recommendations, and planning I’d developed so far.
Her only concern? Commission.
“I’ve got two agents who will do it for 1%,” she said. And she’s right—there is never a shortage of agents willing to work for less. I reminded her that cheaper doesn’t always mean better and gently asked whether those agents had provided a proposal as thorough as mine. But the conversation never moved past the fee. It wasn’t that I refused to negotiate; I absolutely believe clients should feel confident that they’re getting value. And it’s my responsibility to demonstrate that value clearly.
What I won’t do, though, is agree to a situation where I’m undervalued from the start.
At one point she said, “You have no experience selling a home like mine.” And in some ways, she’s right—every home is different. Every seller has unique priorities, limitations, and goals. What works beautifully for one property in one market might fall flat for another. That’s why my approach is always customized, whether it’s a $200,000 condo or a $2 million estate. My contractors get the same high standards. My sellers get the same attention, strategy, and care. Whether we get multiple offers in 48 hours or sit on the market for 100 days, my commitment stays the same.
Real estate isn’t linear. Sometimes I’m paid very well for work that goes quickly. Other times I spend years guiding clients who ultimately never buy or sell—and I don’t earn a cent. There’s no world where a pre-negotiated fee can accurately reflect the true scope or value of what happens in between. Yet, that’s the industry we operate in.
What I do know is this: if a client ever makes me feel like I am the reason they can’t achieve their real estate goals—before we’ve even begun—then it’s not the right partnership. And when that’s the case, the healthiest and most professional decision is to respectfully part ways.
