MMA

I like watching MMA.  It’s a super exciting sport.  A fight can be like a chess match fought on so many different levels.  And it can turn on a dime or be over in half a blink.  The big, outsized personalities are also fascinating as the fighters try to draw attention to themselves and eyeballs (and thus dollars) to their fights.  Often times this can get carried away with shoving matches and physical altercations on an interview stage or in a parking garage or even cage side after a fight is over.  It seems like too often, the trash talk crosses the line into crude, insulting language.

Tyrone Woodley’s Mom

That’s why the story of Tyron Woodley’s mom is so amazing.  Tyron had climbed the ladder in the welterweight division and was the UFC champion.  But in March he lost the fight and title to Kamaru Usman.  Not just lost, but lost badly.  The fight went to a judge’s decision after 5 rounds, and Woodley lost all 5 rounds according to all three judges.  He was dominated in a fight he was favored to win.

So you’d think it would be super awkward for Usman to run into Woodley’s mom in the hallway after the fight.  He tells her that he’s sorry.  I mean what do you say to a woman when you’ve just beaten the stuffing out of her son and taken his title belt?  But she doesn’t fuss at him or mock him or promise revenge or make excuses or anything like what you’d expect.  Instead she hugs him and says things like “It’s all good”, “It’s your turn”, and “Be encouraged.”

How could she say that to the guy that defeated her son?  Because of her point of view.  She told an interviewer, “They’re not adversaries; they’re opponents. I think we’re all family and we need to support each other.”

Commercial Real Estate Can Feel Like A Battle

This point of view could be applied to any situation whether sports or in the classroom or with neighbors or politics (yes please!).  And of course it can be applied to business, to real estate specifically.  In a real estate transaction there are usually 2 sides – buyer and seller or landlord and tenant.  Because most things in the US are not bought by negotiation, real estate is one of the few transaction types where it feels like a battle, with a winner and a loser.  There are tons of books on winning negotiations.  We want to win and thus for the other side to lose.  And as a real estate agent, my lawful duty is to help my client win at the expense of the other party, right?

But It does not have to be.

I would argue not.  A truly successful transaction is one in which both sides come out as winners.  This can be seen most easily in my role representing a landlord.  If I squeeze every rent dollar I can into the lease, the landlord may win the signing, but when the tenant can’t make it and goes out of business in a few months, then we’ve all really lost.

Principle is important

But even in a buy/sell transaction that doesn’t have an ongoing relationship, it holds true.  We are constantly interacting with the same business people in town.  If I push hard to win a transaction, they will remember (and word will get out) for the next time.  I’m thankful that I’ve been mentored by agents who believe this principle and that I’m involved with a group of local agents who live this out by sharing information and references and by helping each other succeed for the good of all of our clients.

 I am here to help you. 

So if you call me to represent you in a real estate transaction, I will work hard for you and your best interest in a way that will bring a positive outcome for all involved.