No one likes to be stuck in the middle of a sibling rivalry! Chris Stafford, a REALTOR® of 27 years in the San Francisco area, played the mediator between two brothers – and it wasn’t fun. While one brother sabotaged the sale of their home and the other was furious and fuming, Chris reflected on the lesson we could all take away from this story. Listen in to find out how Chris handled the brothers – and still got a raving testimonial at the end of the day.
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Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 00:45 – Introducing Chris, a CPA and real estate broker who has been selling for 27 years ago in the San Francisco Bay area
- 01:40 – Chris’ CSIRE story
- 01:50 – It was an example of the dynamics of dysfunctional families; two brothers owned a $2M property and one of the brothers was an executor
- 02:10 – The other brother was living on the property and didn’t want to move, even though he has another property; there was animosity between the brothers
- 02:50 – The brother made the sale difficult by putting signs up during walk-throughs, leasing to others, and destroying the building
- 03:20 – Chris acted as a mediator between the brothers
- 04:14 – They ended up having a lawsuit and selling the property; they made $1M each; the one brother was sabotaging his own equity in the property
- 05:00 – The lessons
- 05:24 – The brother’s parents didn’t have everything squared away when they passed which made for disagreements and difficulty down the line; trusts and wills are important
- 06:00 – When someone tells you who they are, trust them; the brother showed his true colors
- 06:40 – Both brothers ended up writing excellent testimonials for Chris because he was patient and supportive throughout
- 07:11 – An attorney can help you structure a will; many people don’t want to estate plan, but it will help your children immensely
- 08:00 – Chris’ neighbor
- 08:04 – His neighbor’s parents passed away but didn’t leave a will or trust, and they were hoarders
- 08:30 – The house was packed to the ceiling with paper and magazines; Chris offered to help clean it up but the parents had hid gold, stock certificates, and currency in the trash
- 09:15 – It took the family 9 months to go through everything
- 11:00 – Chris’ one piece of advice for new REALTORS®
- 11:12 – Get a mentor; everyone – new or seasoned – runs into unexpected scenarios and will need a mentor to help them navigate through
- 12:30 – How to contact Chris: His website https://epiclistingagent.com/
- 12:45 – Get a free copy of his book “Massive Abundance” through his website
3 Key Points
- Families, make sure parents have everything squared away before they pass.
- Give your heirs a break and prepare!
- Get a mentor or coach to help you improve.
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