“Don’t judge a book by its cover” – a lesson Buddy West learned in a very humbling way when he was out showing a house to a man whom he thought was a drug dealer. When you’re in the real estate industry, it’s incredibly important to not prejudge your clients. Instead, ask the right questions and be open-minded, fair and open with all who come seeking your help. Listen to find out just who Buddy’s shady-looking client really was and some other crazy stories Buddy has accumulated along the way.
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Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 00:27 – Leigh welcomes today’s guest, Buddy West
- 00:36 – Buddy is a legend in the real estate industry
- 00:57 – He has been in real estate for 33 years
- 01:08 – He caters to the Delaware area
- 02:12 – Buddy will share 2 stories
- 02:18 – 1st story: Don’t pre-judge people
- 02:28 – One Sunday, Buddy got a phone call to look at a listing
- 02:51 – Buddy went to show a high-priced house
- 02:59 – He pulled up to the house and found a guy who looked like a member of the Grateful Dead
- 03:14 – After Buddy showed the property, the guy told him he wanted to check another property 6 miles away
- 03:17 – Buddy called for an appointment
- 03:23 – He offered a ride to the client and said he’d drop him off again at the first house they met
- 03:33 – Buddy asked if the client was paying cash or was financing
- 03:51 – Client said he’d pay cash and is capable of paying up to $550K
- 03:56 – Buddy immediately thought this guy was a drug-dealer
- 04:06 – Upon showing the 2nd house, the client said he liked it and that he’d buy it
- 04:21 – Buddy asked the client why he wanted to work with him
- 04:28 – Client goes, “because we have something in common”
- 04:37 – He said they were both writers
- 04:56 – Buddy found out this client was the writer for Spider-Man
- 05:00 – His client was David Michelinie
- 05:58 – “You don’t judge a book by its cover”
- 06:58 – “Preconceived notions are going to kill you in the real estate business”
- 07:44 – Ask good questions
- 07:55 – Dave introduced Buddy to the illustrator of Superman, Brett Breeding, whom he also sold a house to
- 08:07 – Buddy shares a story he has with Joe Clement, his partner
- 09:28 – They were showing a house
- 09:48 – The husband came out giggling
- 09:57 – The bedroom vent had a hole in it with a camera lens pointing towards the bed
- 10:14 – Buddy called the listing agent about the camera
- 10:26 – The agent called the owner and found out the lady didn’t know about it
- 10:33 – They went to the house, up to the attic and the VCRs were all set-up with an electrical line down to the neighbor’s electric outlet
- 10:59 – The neighbor was video taping his estranged wife
- 11:26 – The guy got arrested eventually
- 12:32 – Buddy also shares about a pre-settlement inspection
- 12:35 – He sent a realtor to his place because he had a schedule conflict
- 12:47 – She walked in the buyer’s house only to find him dead on a chair
- 13:04 – She was out of real estate not long after that
- 13:35 – Real estate is an expensive business to be in
- 14:03 – Realtors should stay calm to work through any difficulty in the business
- 14:31 – Stop, think, and act
- 14:49 – Buddy is one of the first people Leigh learned the business from in real estate
- 15:39 – Start taking real estate classes
- 16:06 – Reach out to Buddy at buddy@buddywest.com
- 16:31 – Tweet Leigh Brown for your very own crazy story in real estate
3 Key Points
- Stop judging people based on how they look—preconceived notions will really kill you in this industry.
- Don’t be afraid to ask the right questions.
- Real estate business can throw you a whole array of experiences—stop, think, and act in every situation.
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