In real estate, turning the other cheek is not only the most noble response to losing a sale, but it might just be the most savvy business decision you can make. Realtors® reveal this well-kept secret in their story of how they lost a sale to a FSBO but gained a client for life.

"On Thanksgiving Day, one of our clients, a retired investment banker, called to say that a friend of his had come to town and wanted to look at available homes in the private golf community of Glenwild, where houses sell for between $2.5 and $4 million. We'll refer to our client's friend as Sam, to protect his anonymity."

"On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Sam showed up with his girlfriend and all six of their combined kids. I (Jim) took them on a tour of about ten homes. On Saturday I took Sam, without his family in tow, to view alternate properties throughout Park City."

"On Sunday, they left town with a favorable impression of Park City, but wanted to compare homes in Telluride over Christmas vacation. We prepared an analysis of properties available in Telluride, knowing we wouldn't receive a referral."

"We kept in touch with Sam once or twice a month, as we usually do with prospective clients. In April, Sam and his girlfriend returned to Park City to continue their search, deciding that they preferred it over Telluride."

"That Monday, we showed them a number of homes and offered to take them to dinner. They declined because they had other friends in town that they wanted to visit. The next day, we did a second showing of the home they liked best, and then they flew out in the afternoon."

"I talked to Sam later in the week to follow up and was caught off guard when he said that the friends they had dinner with on Monday told them about a FSBO in Glenwild which they were going to purchase."

"Billie and I were very familiar with Glenwild, but we were unaware of any FSBO's on the market in that area. I wished Sam luck on the purchase and suggested he give us a call if they needed any help. Billie sent a follow-up note telling them what a pleasure it was to work with them and that we wished them well."

"The following Tuesday, I sent Sam an email with information on a local painter and contractor. The following Friday, I called to see how things were going and learned that the transaction was moving along quite smoothly. We still had no idea which property they were buying."

"I called Sam again a week later, and he indicated that they were experiencing some timing and remodeling issues, but the transaction was still moving along."

"The following Friday, Sam called us wanting to know whether the home that we had showed them was still available. They were unable to work out the timing issues on the FSBO, and the home required much more extensive renovations than they had originally thought. They decided to back out of the deal and buy one of the homes we had showed them."

"Sam described the FSBO they had placed an offer on, and we knew it well. I explained that we would never have shown them that house, because it simply didn't meet the criteria they had given us and what we sensed would appeal to them."

"We helped the couple put together an offer on their dream home, and after a lengthy negotiation, as well as some creative commission strategies on our part, we finally closed the deal in June. Upon seeing the home again during final walkthrough, Sam commented that it was much more beautiful than he had remembered. The entire family is thrilled with their new home, and they are now in the process of renovating it to make it even more spectacular."

"On the day of the closing we took them to dinner at one of Park City's fine restaurants. As Jim prepared to deliver his toast, Sam interrupted and said he had something to say. Sam toasted Jim, 'Jim, you are truly one of the most honorable men I have ever met. You could have hung up on me that day when I called and said we were buying a house that excluded you from the sale, but you didn't. You continued to offer help and suggestions. Very few agents would have handled this situation as classy as you did.'"

We can all learn a great deal from the example of Jim and Billie Harsch. Honesty, integrity, and a sincere determination to do what's in the best interest of everyone you meet, is not only the right thing to do -- it's the best business decision you'll ever make.

Published: November 1, 2006

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Ralph R. Roberts, CRS, GRI is an award-winning and internationally recognized real estate agent, author, coach, and speaker. Throughout his career, Ralph has proven his commitment to helping other real estate and sales professionals build upon their past and present success, grow and expand their businesses, and provide a rich and rewarding future for themselves, their customers, their employees, and their families. As president and CEO of Ralph Roberts Realty, Ralph has personally helped thousands of consumers realize their dream of homeownership. While selling over 10,000 homes (and buying and selling over 3,000 investment properties) throughout his 30-year career, Ralph has made the time to mentor and coach hundreds of professionals in real estate, sales, and a host of other fields. Ralph is a recognized authority on Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud; Residential Real Estate; Personal Salesmanship; Sales Force and Office Management, Motivation, Design, and Team Building; and Foreclosure Self-Defense and Loan Modification, fields in which he has demonstrated his commitment to preserving the American Dream of Homeownership. Ralph's numerous websites, blogs, seminars, and speaking engagements engage, entertain, and educate both consumers and professionals. Ralph is also an accomplished author with several successful titles to his credit, including: Power Teams: The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team Financing Real Estate Investments For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Mortgage Myths: 77 Secrets That Will Save You Thousands on Home Financing (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Self-Defense For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud: Preserving the American Dream of Homeownership (Kaplan) Foreclosure Investing For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Myths: 77 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Distressed Properties (John Wiley & Sons) Advanced Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Flipping Houses For Dummies 52 Weeks of Sales Success (John Wiley & Sons) Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman (John Wiley & Sons) Cross-Cultural Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) To learn more about Ralph, visit AboutRalph.com, check out his daily insights on real estate and mortgage fraud prevention at FlippingFrenzy.com, or visit his latest blog dedicated to helping distressed homeowners fight foreclosure, KeepMyHouse.com. You can reach Ralph at or by calling (586) 751-0000.