What to ignore

Yesterday one of my listings was given a critical review by friends of the seller. Not surprisingly these friends were able to find something they didn’t like. That is the thing when you ask smart people a question, they will strain to give you an answer. Well, maybe strain is too strong a word, a smart person can make decisions quickly and without effort, but they will give you an answer. Sometimes the answer will be right on and sometimes not.

I am not sure about this one so I made the change requested. The comment was about the fact that my seller loves her home and has spent time, energy and money landscaping and gardening while she was the steward of this wonderful home. She planted a number of beautiful trees in the yard which create shade and beauty. A neighbor, as a compliment, mentioned she could be called the tree lady because of her love of trees, her garden and the shade. Well “tree lady” is a bit too close to “cat lady” you know that crazy woman who lives down the street with the 40 cats! Turns out there actually is a cat lady and she did live in the community and was known to all. My seller is anything but crazy and her love of gardening is far from an obsession with cats, but the well meaning friends felt there was enough of a connection to warrant a comment.

In this case, what I did was change the language immediately in my description because perception can be reality and there is no room for that perception here. Sometimes the critics can get it right when they are off base trying to make a connection. I like asking my friends for their opinions and I think most people like to get some consensus on their work. I think it is important to know what to ignore and what to take action on. It is not about right or wrong, it is about your ultimate goals and how is that being best served. We are best served by people better understanding that this homeowner has cared for this land and this home and there is nothing crazy about that.