It has been a long journey filled with ups and downs since I began my real estate career in 1991. Over the past 34 years, the market has changed countless times, but the lessons I’ve learned along the way remain priceless. Please allow me to share a few of them.
What Most Buyers Get Wrong:
One of the biggest mistakes buyers make is waiting to buy in an upward-moving market instead of taking advantage of a down market. It may sound counterproductive, but when prices are rising and excitement takes over, buyers often rush in emotionally and end up paying significantly more.
This behavior fuels the market itself: increased demand creates lower inventory, which drives asking prices even higher. While excitement can be contagious, smart real estate decisions should always be driven by strategy, timing, and long-term value — not market hype.
What Three Decades in Real Estate Taught Me About Negotiation:
Negotiation is a skill that must be practiced over and over again. Too often, people confuse negotiation with control. True negotiation is not about “winning” at all costs — it’s about creating a win-win outcome for everyone involved.
The moment the focus shifts to “I must win for myself or my client,” the process usually begins to break down. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned throughout my career is this:
“The person willing to walk away from the deal is often the person with the most control.”
Why? Because emotion is removed from the decision-making process. Clear thinking always leads to better outcomes.
Why Experience Matters During Uncertain Markets:
Experience matters — not simply because of the number of years, but because of what those years contained.
How many market crashes or booms has someone lived through? How many periods of low interest rates, high interest rates, recessions, and recoveries have they navigated? Experience provides perspective that cannot be taught in a classroom.
At some point, wisdom becomes more valuable than intelligence, and wisdom only comes through experience.
The Mistake That Still Costs Sellers Money:
If there is one thing I cannot emphasize enough, it’s this: pricing matters.
Overpricing a property is one of the most expensive mistakes a seller can make. There is nothing worse than a listing sitting on the market for 90, 120 days, or longer. I often call it “the kiss of death.”
Smart sellers — and smart agents — understand the importance of pricing a property correctly from the start, whether the market is rising or declining. Proper pricing creates momentum, attracts serious buyers, and ultimately leads to stronger results.
