There is one more story that has stayed with me.
One February, a woman called. She had seen my SOLD sign nearby and wanted me to sell her house in Scarborough.
On the phone she kept repeating one thing: she wanted to talk soon and sell as soon as possible.
Because I knew the area, I first gave her a rough price range, explaining that a more accurate view would need a visit to the house.
While preparing, I found that she had bought the house only six months earlier and had taken possession just over three months before.
Rushing to sell after owning a home for such a short time — the reason was worth understanding.
On site, the house looked good and had just been renovated. The basement had been divided into two bedrooms with a kitchen and a bathroom, and you could still smell the paint.
When I mentioned the renovation in passing, the owner said her husband was in the renovation business.
Then she asked again how much the house would sell for. Instead of giving a number right away, I first asked why she wanted to sell so soon.
She paused, then asked back: “Do I have to tell you why I’m selling?”
Then I asked the key question: “Do you know this was a grow-op house?”
She was silent for a long time. Finally she asked: “If you sell it for me, can we not disclose it?”
I refused that request.
She said that when she bought it, the other side hadn’t told her clearly either. She only learned the house’s history after moving in. She had considered legal action, but worried about the time, the cost and the outcome, and in the end decided to sell as quickly as possible.
I brought out the information I had prepared and went through it with her. Based on the documents and what I saw on site at the time, some clues had been worth investigating further from the start — you couldn’t just look at how the house looked after the renovation.
Describing the agent who had helped her buy it, she said: “He’s my co-worker’s son — very honest, doesn’t say much, very down-to-earth.”
That stayed with me.
She valued personal connections and the agent’s character. That is understandable. But when it comes to a house’s history, its documents and its potential problems, being friendly, patient and down-to-earth is not enough — it also takes experience and investigative skill.
Showing a client a house can’t just be about asking whether they like it; seeing a fresh renovation, you can’t only notice whether it looks good.
Which things need follow-up questions? Which documents need checking? Which doubts need a home inspector, a lawyer or another professional to assess? This work determines how well clients understand what they are about to buy.
There is another sad side to this story.
A buyer who discovered she had taken on an unexpected problem hoped to pass it on to the next person by selling. Her pressure is understandable, but the next buyer is also a family putting their savings into a home.
By that point, talking about price is nowhere near enough.
— Ming
