Property Point

I can tell how my dog, Millie, is feeling just by looking at her. Millie is a smart, robust, ridiculously friendly and energetic mix of border collie, kelpie and some other dog or dogs that also love running and jumping.

She is generally unaware of the boundaries that exist between humans and dogs. Although she has been trained and taught to know she is at the bottom of the pecking order in our family (otherwise it would be chaos), she certainly feels she is a crucial part of that pecking order.

“I might not be Top Dog but I’ve got a place under the table, that’s for sure,” seems to be her position on these matters.

Due to my weakness and our kids’ manipulative and unwavering influence, Millie is also unaware of the boundaries that should exist between inside and outside, on the couch and off the couch. She is constantly there, listening to conversations, watching behaviour, picking up signals about the mood and direction of the day.

The signals she picks up determine how she feels and this is reflected in her demeanour. If there is laughter and fun and animated conversation, she is there wagging her tail and watching it all. She might trot off to get a ball to put at someone’s feet because, who knows, if everyone’s having so much fun we might as well do some catching.

But if I’m watching my footy team, her demeanour changes. She senses the tension in the air and curls up in a ball, tail between her legs. I can try to reassure her but she knows something’s not right. She seems to react the same way when I’m watching Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen talking on TV—except I think she is actually frightened.

But one thing that never changes is that when you arrive home or see Millie for the first time that day, she is ecstatic. The enthusiasm and absolute joy is overwhelming and undeniable.

The difference when it comes to working in real estate is that I work with humans, not canines. Humans don’t arrive at an open house wagging their tails or with their tails between their legs. The mood is harder to pick.

When I arrive to do an appraisal at a seller’s house, they don’t greet me like Millie does. No licking, thank God.

The movie The Castle famously referred to “the vibe”, but it is true that in the world of business and sales, you do have to pick up the vibe—get a sense of the person you’re dealing with and perhaps the mood they are in.

You can’t pick some people’s mood. A person can have a naturally happy disposition or a grumpy one. So, unlike with Millie, you can’t assume anything from someone’s demeanour.

I’ve sold properties to people who seemed cranky and unimpressed with the property. Later they say how much they liked the place and how happy they were with how it was presented. Okay, sure.

Others seem happy and positive, but when you follow up, they say how much they hated the place.

But whether you are dealing with canines or the harder-to-interpret human species, there is one feature that makes relationships work: trust. Whether it’s a dog or a human, if they trust you, they’ll work with you.

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