Turn Down a Three Million Dollar Listing on the Beach?

WOULD YOU TURN DOWN A THREE MILLION DOLLAR LISTING ON THE GULF OF MEXICO?

Sounds crazy, doesn't it! Why would anyone in their right mind turn that down? It is on Gulfshore Blvd, in the Parkshore area of Naples. Prime real estate. Right on Doctors Pass, with a boat dock, two minutes from the Gulf.

HERE ARE THE SELLERS TERMS:

• NO INTERNET: They want no pictures on the Internet because they are afraid someone will go on the beach and rob them. No video, virtual tour. No nothin. That Facebook stuff and Twitter is just for teenagers and will not help sell their property. Theirs is too high end for that stuff.
• NO KEY: As the listing broker, you will not be issued a key to your listing. You will have to go to the gate and give your license to the security guard to obtain a key Never mind that you have successfully sold in the building many times. And the elderly guard can't move to quickly and more often has stepped away for lunch or the rest room which is away from his guard gate
• NO SHOWINGS ON WEEKENDS: Also, no showings on holidays. No showings when they have house guests. In Naples if you have any friends, that is every week that friends and family are escaping the cold in the North. Holidays? That is when buyers fly in to look at property in Florida.
• NO OPEN HOUSES: Well, I will give them this one. Many luxury high-rise condos in Naples do not allow open houses for fear of letting people into a building unescorted.
• UNUSUAL FLOORPLAN: The sellers took two apartments and made it into one. Problem is, it is an up and a down. They built a staircase that chops the condo in two and makes it very dark when buyers are expecting to see this bright, light open expanse to the beach.
• TOO MUCH FURNITURE: Lots of antiques, and stuff. In fact, clutter everywhere. Nice stuff, but just too much of everything. You can't see the property for pictures and nick knacks everywhere.
• UNREALISTIC PRICE: They phoned you to take the listing because you come highly recommended from past clients in the building. Never mind, that the others you sold were newly renovated, and attractively furnished. They also put two condos together twenty five years ago with little or no renovations since then. Their math says their place is worth twice the others. Oh, they do have a European, expensive kitchen. Problem is, the cupboards are red and the granite a strange color.
• TALK TOO MUCH: These are the clients who will take up at least an hour per conversation. They want to tell you how to sell their property, all the past history on the condo and on and on and on. They do not understand that you are with clients and cannot pick up on every call. Huge time drains when you could be working with willing sellers. I could see the stress factor shoot through the roof.
• WAIT, THERE'S MORE: They wanted to market it to their friends and neighbors first, and on and on and on. We had not gotten to commission.
• JUST SAY NO! Yup, I did. Felt good too. I explained that I thought their property was lovely, however, they would be hiring me to use all the tools I had in my arsenal and could not do it with one hand behind my back. Or two. I also told them I was running a business. I would invest in them. Time and money. I was being brutally honest but had their best interest at heart. Perhaps they should think about it a bit.

1. In this market we all like to chase after listings, or do we? What would you do?