Kyle’s such a braggart. I also can predict the future, but in more of a sixth sense kind of way. No, I don’t see dead people, but I do seem to have a keen knack for spotting houses that will be listed soon.
This is how my sixth sense usually works, and it has happened more times than I can count on two hands, so I feel it’s blog-worthy at this point. Particularly after Kyle’s boasting yesterday.
I will be out somewhere, doing something (running, doing errands, walking the dog, sitting at a stop light, that kind of thing) and will notice a house that I haven’t really ever noticed before. It’s like it’s a new house saying “hey, look at me, I’m kind of special over here.” And I do usually take note of it for some reason and think to myself “huh, I’ve never seen that house before.” This happens even though I’ve driven or walked these routes hundreds of times. The house pops out at me as if it’s never been there.
And then, about a week later, it will be listed in the MLS. And not by me. It kind of drives me crazy.
This happened just last week. I was driving and noticed a few bungalows sitting together on a well traveled street. I hadn’t really paid attention to them before. There was a yellow one and that was the most memorable. I wondered why I’ve never seen any of them sell. Three days later? The yellow one was in the MLS. What the heck?
I swear this has happened a number of times. I have even mentioned houses to Kyle when I come back from a run and say ‘Oh, I noticed such-and-such a house, it has this neat architectural feature.” Then, a week later? Bam. In the MLS.
What is one to do about this sixth sense? When I notice a house make a mental note and send them a card saying “Are you thinking about selling?” Maybe that would freak them out because they are thinking about selling. It’s like I’m reading their mind. Who wants to work with a person that reads their mind? That’s weird and kind of creepy.
At this point I’ve just decided to keep my “gift” under wraps and live this tortured life of knowing what’s going to be on the market before it gets to the market. Maybe I could try to sell my “leads” to other agents?
Maybe you’re just picking up on pre-listing preparation work — lawn and garden care, cleaned windows, new paint, decluttered interiors that show through windows, new doormat, removal of barbed-wire fences, etc. Little things the rest of us don’t notice. Like “House,” but for houses. “House House.”
I thought that might be the case too, but when I go back and look at them, the houses I seem to notice don’t appear to be doing any extra sprucing up. It’s an annoying mystery…