The Door You Keep Open

When an offer is turned down because a higher one came in the same day, the losing buyer is often the last to hear. The seller's side can handle that moment in two ways. It can go silent and let the buyer find out from the listing, or it can phone, explain plainly that another offer was accepted, and ask whether the buyer would like to hear if anything changes.

The second option takes a few minutes and seems pointless at the time. But accepted offers do fall through. A suspensive condition fails, or a buyer's circumstances change, and suddenly the seller is back at the start with a house that has been off the market for weeks. The buyer who was treated with respect may still be interested and still have finance, and can be reached in an afternoon. The buyer who was ignored has usually moved on, and is unlikely to come back to a seller who made him feel foolish.

The same holds for tenants who leave and agents who were not chosen. In a small market people come around again, sometimes years later, and the way an ending was handled is what they remember.

Honestly, slamming a door feels satisfying for about a day. Keeping it open costs a little pride and one polite phone call, which is cheap for a second chance in a town where everyone knows everyone.