Its not just business. It's personal.

In the world of real estate, we often see celebrations for every step: a new listing, going under contract, repairs, negotiations—and of course, the closing. While I genuinely celebrate every milestone with my clients, and I do encourage them to enjoy each victory and step. I have a personal rule: I never celebrate the "before" part or share it online...ever.  I only celebrate the closing, when it's all done. So much can happen in the interim. Fate is a fickle mistress, and I don't want to tempt her.

I had been working with a wonderful family for a while—good people, raising their kids, working hard to secure a home in a safe neighborhood with great schools. Their dream list was similar to so many other parents'.

Then came the hiccup. It was a Friday evening, naturally. I received a call, not about a house showing, but about finding a last-minute place to stay. They had been late on a single rental payment. It was none of my business what happened or why, but the large, faceless corporation that owned their rental didn't care. They refused to accept the late payment my clients could make, and the family was facing eviction. The sobering reality of this hit hard.

I immediately called a loan officer I knew, whose response was a gross oversimplification: they should just find a place within their means. He is, not surprisingly, no longer a contact of mine. People are human beings, not files or numbers, and in this case, kids were involved.

I scrambled, calling every attorney I knew. A colleague finally referred me to a lawyer who, well after 5 p.m. on a Friday, took the call. With nothing to gain from it, he still stepped in to see if he could help. He reviewed the documentation and confirmed the heartbreaking truth: it was too late to stop the eviction. I will always appreciate that man for his compassion and for taking the time to help when it mattered most, gaining nothing from it but being a compassionate human being. These are the kind of people I like to work with. 

Whiskey couldn't turn off my brain that night; And I didn't sleep well as I was sick to my stomach.  I finally gave up sleeping at 3 a.m. By 6 a.m., I brought my husband coffee and told him I was heading over to help, with or without him. No surprise, he was up for helping. When you’re in the trenches, wouldn't you want someone there with you? The thought of them being homeless turned my stomach—a sick feeling that demanded action. Maybe I couldn't fix this but I had to hands and could help. 

We learned something that day: it is entirely possible to move a 3,000 square foot home in a single day. It was chaotic, a free-for-all, but with the help of the kids’ friends and four adults directing the chaos, it was done. We rushed to get everything out, just in case they wouldn't let us back in after the formal notice was posted.

When the sheriffs arrived, and these were some big guys by the way! My husband introduced himself to navigate the situation. It was a sobering moment watching them place the eviction notice on the door and lock the family out. I remember holding my client as she cried, and I wanted to as well. Every agent should experience that humbling moment at least once in their career. Because anything can happen that results in someone being homeless...

Thankfully, the company allowed us to continue clearing out their remaining possessions, and we got everything into storage. I still have a picture on my phone of their kids in the moving van outside the storage facility—just being kids, helping their friends, nonetheless. They were fortunate to find a compassionate individual landlord for their next rental, not another corporation, which allowed them to stay in the same school district.

A year and a half later, the same clients were under contract and successfully closed on their new home. Hiccups, even monumental ones, can slow you down, but they don't have to stop you. This journey was never about selling a house; it was about ensuring a family had a secure foundation. It solidified my belief that all our clients are human beings who deserve compassion and advocacy. They matter, and they should matter, at every stage. That’s why, in real estate, it’s not just business—it’s about connection, trust, and being part of someone’s story in a meaningful way.