Anne's Story: How Wishes and You can Change Lives

Let me tell you Anne’s story. Anne was the very first person we ever did a Home Investment Review for, and she happened to be my bookkeeper's mother. At the time, I had just written a plan for my daughter, Chloe, who had been in the real estate business for less than a year. I was sharing it with my bookkeeper. The plan was built around fostering better relationships with homeowners—relationships that instilled trust and confidence well before they ever considered buying or selling.

My bookkeeper was impressed with the plan and immediately suggested we present it to her mother, Anne. She explained that Anne often called her for advice, but she felt Anne needed someone with more expertise to rely on. We set up a meeting for Chloe to deliver the presentation to Anne.

Anne was in her late 60s, working full-time at a law office. Her daily routine was grueling: an hour-long bus ride to work, a full day in the office, another hour-long ride home, dinner, some recorded TV shows, and then bed—only to repeat it all the next day. She lived alone in a lovely condo in the city.

Before meeting Anne, we gathered some basic information about her property. It was part of a large condo complex with many comparable units, so determining a rough valuation was straightforward.

During the review, we started by asking Anne about her Wishes, Wants, and Needs. She mentioned practical things, like needing an ensuite in her next condo because she frequented the bathroom several times a night. We joked about the overshare, laughed together, and kept the conversation lighthearted. This helped us start building a deeper relationship, turning a contact into a genuine client.

Anne also said she wanted a larger laundry space. Her current setup—a small closet off the dining room—often resulted in laundry spilling onto her dining table. She admitted it was embarrassing, especially when unexpected guests showed up. We noted her Wants and Needs, but as we were wrapping up, Anne added: “You didn’t ask me about my Wishes!”

Chloe quickly apologized and asked, “Anne, what are your wishes?”

Anne replied, “I wish I could retire and move closer to my daughter and granddaughter.”

I explained that while we didn’t handle retirement planning, knowing her wish would help us keep an eye out for opportunities. Anne lived in the city, but her daughter was in a smaller, less expensive community nearby. Chloe began searching and found a near-perfect condo—a well-priced estate sale in her daughter’s neighborhood.

Anne loved it. She ended up writing an offer on the new condo, contingent on selling her current unit. Anne’s condo sold quickly, and within 30 days of our initial meeting, she had purchased her new home. On possession day, as the movers unloaded her belongings, I walked behind Anne into her new condo. She turned to me, beaming, and said, “Guess what?”

“What?” I asked.

“I handed in my notice to retire!” she exclaimed.

A chill ran through my body! We had helped change this lady’s life.

Selling her condo had provided enough funds to fully pay off her mortgage and buy her new home outright, making retirement a reality. Anne’s wish had come true.

These two transactions weren’t actively “in the market.” Anne hadn’t been talking to a Realtor, nor had she realized that retirement was within reach. Our plan, which we now call Relationship Marketing, didn’t just yield a buy-and-sell for Chloe—it changed Anne’s life.

Seeing Anne’s joy on moving day and hearing about her retirement trumped any commission we earned by a mile.

Did this answer your question? Thanks for the feedback There was a problem submitting your feedback. Please try again later.

Still need help? Contact Us Contact Us