A walk through is the last milestone prior to closing where a buyer visually inspects the property. I was meeting a buyer
for a walkthrough in the afternoon when I learned the seller who had previously moved out of the home was back. I was asked if he should leave the home for our walkthrough. I suggested to the buyer to let the seller stay. It was a cold day. Why make the seller leave the home, I said. Although the buyer was hesitant she agreed after I explained the seller would likely welcome meeting the person who was buying their home.
I was half right... I need to let you know that during the buying process a few issues had come up. One of them been a water pipe that burst in the basement. All the issues had been handled and we were there to see if everything that had been fixed. We were there for less than fifteen minutes when the seller and buyer began to talk to each other. The seller giving details on where to find all the important items about the home. They began to ask what the other does. It turned out they both work in healthcare and have in fact at different times worked for same employer. Before I knew it, my hour or less walkthrough turned into two and half hours. It all began when the buyer asked, "What are your favorite spots to sit in the house?" Suddenly the seller began to cry. He would go on to explain the reason why he and his wife bought the house. He bought the house partly because the house was like his favorite aunt's home. The aunt had long passed. And then he went on to explain all the spots in the home where he sat to read or drank coffee. The seller cried as he told the story. The buyer for the first time realized she was not just buying a house. She was taking on a legacy of someone who had lived and raised his family there. She too was about to embark on a journey of her own.
By then I had found a spot on the stairs to sit. Sitting as a fly would on the wall. I was not needed in the conversation. I sat there and listened to the two people talk. This was the real reason why I love real estate. I love people. But I had been caught up with filling forms, meeting deadlines and keeping track of everything. I almost missed the human aspect of this business. The house went to close the following day. The seller was given the key after closing to spend the night in the home since it was too late for him to travel.
I was half right...
