We have never formally developed a motto, mission statement, or any sort of overarching principle that directs our business. But, if we had, I think it would go something like this: We care very little about the decisions you ultimately make, but we care deeply that these decisions are preceded by good information and the right questions.
Please don’t mistake “we care very little” for indifference — that’s neither the sentiment nor the spirit of this value. We simply feel it’s best for the folks we work with if we detach ourselves from the outcome. However, we do concern ourselves with giving you every bit of good, relevant, and accurate info we can — both anecdotal and empirical, scientific and non-scientific, based on personal experience and statistics. And we do concern ourselves with helping you understand the questions that need to be asked and answered – questions that are often not apparent. The old saying applies here — you don’t know what you don’t know.
For example, I was in a tire shop this past week getting new tires for my wife’s van. The car was (and had been for a while, apparently) out of alignment. The technician did a good job communicating to me why the tires were unevenly worn and why they didn’t last as long as expected. The technician was knowledgeable, articulate, and explained the problem well — he even used a helpful diagram. Had I left after this discussion, I would have had a good understanding of how a car out of alignment can impact tire life. It could be argued that the technician did his job well; he communicated the problem clearly, and I understood the process he explained. The problem, though, was he didn’t consider what I didn’t know. For example, I had NO idea how to prevent the same thing from happening again, and I didn’t know if the alignment should be checked out regularly (and if so, how often). I followed up with a few questions and learned a bit more. I learned alignments aren’t checked as part of any routine maintenance (which meant I needed to ask specifically for this to be done), and I learned how often the alignment should be checked. The technician did a good job- he was friendly and articulate, and he explained part of the process well. It stopped short of being a great experience, though, because he didn’t help me understand the questions I should be asking. He didn’t help me understand what I didn’t know.
Please don’t mistake “we care very little” for indifference — that’s neither the sentiment nor the spirit of this value. We simply feel it’s best for the folks we work with if we detach ourselves from the outcome. However, we do concern ourselves with giving you every bit of good, relevant, and accurate info we can — both anecdotal and empirical, scientific and non-scientific, based on personal experience and statistics. And we do concern ourselves with helping you understand the questions that need to be asked and answered – questions that are often not apparent. The old saying applies here — you don’t know what you don’t know.
For example, I was in a tire shop this past week getting new tires for my wife’s van. The car was (and had been for a while, apparently) out of alignment. The technician did a good job communicating to me why the tires were unevenly worn and why they didn’t last as long as expected. The technician was knowledgeable, articulate, and explained the problem well — he even used a helpful diagram. Had I left after this discussion, I would have had a good understanding of how a car out of alignment can impact tire life. It could be argued that the technician did his job well; he communicated the problem clearly, and I understood the process he explained. The problem, though, was he didn’t consider what I didn’t know. For example, I had NO idea how to prevent the same thing from happening again, and I didn’t know if the alignment should be checked out regularly (and if so, how often). I followed up with a few questions and learned a bit more. I learned alignments aren’t checked as part of any routine maintenance (which meant I needed to ask specifically for this to be done), and I learned how often the alignment should be checked. The technician did a good job- he was friendly and articulate, and he explained part of the process well. It stopped short of being a great experience, though, because he didn’t help me understand the questions I should be asking. He didn’t help me understand what I didn’t know.
Yes, good communication starts with knowing what information to communicate, but it doesn’t end there. Sometimes in life, and certainly in real estate, the information to be shared and understood is multi-layered. If delivered poorly or in the wrong format, it can result in a decision that does not have the intended outcome. We believe the way information is communicated should be thoughtful, and should consider the circumstances. You might find our methods slightly out of the norm, but we think you will appreciate the depth and accessibility of the information you receive from us.
Regardless of the ultimate decision or outcome, our goal is that our clients and colleagues walk away feeling that we have communicated meaningful, needed information in a clear and objective manner. Decisions related to real estate can be difficult and emotional, but we hope to build the groundwork to allow for such decisions to be as informed as possible.