When the Shower Pan Cracks, So Does the Deal — Unless You Show Up

You want to know the fastest way to lose six figures on a $1MM+ deal? Let a small issue snowball into a big one while everyone assumes someone else is handling it. 

Wait… What? You wanted me to do one of those horrible IG videos where they have you click a “Learn More” button and tell you to  “Wait til the end of this video where I reveal my secret” BS?

That's not how I roll.

The Owners of this home live out of town. The Buyers? They're the current tenants - thoughtful, organized, and ready to make this house their own. During their due diligence, they noticed some water seeping from the back wall of the primary shower. Yes, there was clear signs that there’s hard water and clearly there was more to it. Could've been bad luck.

Turns out, it might be worse: a mis-installed shower floor pan from a previous renovation.

And here’s the kicker: The Sellers never asked me to look into it. No email. No heads-up. Not even a passive-aggressive emoji.

And, I showed up to the meeting with the renovations company anyway.

This Is what It Looks Like When Your REALTOR® Takes The Lead.

I got in my car. Drove across town. Coordinated schedules between the Sellers and renovation company and the Tenants aka the Soon-to-be-new-Owners.  Met them all on-site. In person. Not because I had to. Because it was the right thing to do. I needed to understand firsthand what was going on.

Because here's the truth: no inspection report, no emailed invoice, and no thirdhand summary from a contractor (possibly not wanting to warranty their previous work)  is going to give me what I need to protect my Sellers wallet.

No m’am! Not on my watch.

Preventing Chaos Is Quieter Than Fixing It

Deals can fall apart over nonsense. Water damage. Unclear responsibilities. Missed warranty claims. Buyers lose confidence. Sellers lose leverage. And, suddenly, a smooth closing turns into a slow-motion disaster. Insert one of those movie clips playing in your mind where the person screams “Nooooooo…” like they’re high as a kite.\ as the camera spins around distorting the scream.

I don't let that happen.

Real estate is not just pricing and pretty pictures and killer Youtube videos. It’s leadership. It’s knowing when to step in, even if no one asks you to. It's understanding that protecting Clients’ equity means getting your hands a little dirty before it becomes a five-figure problem.

This is where yoyu comes in.

Yoyu — 余裕 — means doing the calm, composed, "extra" work that isn’t extra at all. It’s the quiet kind of professionalism that doesn’t show up in your marketing flyer and makes the whole deal feel steady.

That’s simply what this moment was. It certainly wasn’t heroic. It wasn’t urgent. It was just right.

And, the thing about right work is: you don’t always get applause for it. But you sleep really really well at night.

Outcome Over Optics Every Time

Here’s what happened next: The contractor confirmed that the issue was likely a warranty item: the original installer was at the meeting. And, we’re still waiting to see if they’ll do the right thing.

I video’d (read: “filmed” if it makes you happier) the entire meeting so I have it straight from the horses mouth what this issue is and how to fix it.

Translation:  I documented everything. The Sellers stayed protected. And, the Buyers also had peace of mind (or is it “piece of mind”?) that I was there helping insure that they too had a clear understanding.

Again, nobody asked me to do this.

And yet, this one move may have saved my Sellers thousands and ensured the deal closes without drama. No “the Tenant said “X” and the Contractor said “Y” to be mis-interpreted. Nothing half-assed. I got it all firsthand. On video.

That’s what full-assed real estate looks like.

If you’re a Seller or an out-of-town Investor and you’re wondering who’s actually going to lead your transaction when you can’t be there in person — I’m your person.

No drama. No delay. Just high-level, high-yield execution with room to spare.

Let’s talk.