What is Wrong With You?!

My wife yelled from the other side of our home. Now, if you know me and my bride, you'd know that is an open-ended question that has countless potential answers, and trust me when I say I don’t have enough time to be able to even scratch the surface. As soon as I heard the question, I was reminded of a conversation I had with Charlie when he asked me, “Dad, what superpower would you choose if you could pick one?” Without missing a beat I said, “The ability to read other people's minds.”

You could tell that I had contemplated that long before he asked me and it's because I have received this very question many times before in my life going back as far as I can remember. I thought boy I sure could use that superpower now!

I was in a dilemma; do I answer her and possibly be wrong, opening Pandora's box and having her question the choice of saying I do, 25+ years ago again, or keep my mouth shut until I have more information? I had to say something because she was in the other room waiting for my answer. I decided to play it safe and pretended not to hear her. I was hoping to fish out more information to narrow down the options. No luck. She repeated the same question with no new information and more irritation, so I knew I was not dodging this one.

I thought I would try humor to lessen the irritation. “There’s nothing wrong with me, my mom told me I was perfect as God made me.” It didn’t work. Again, with even more irritation, I heard, “What is wrong with you?

I gave in and asked what she was talking about, with the conviction that comes with ignorance.

She said, “Why are you wearing your old tennis shoes? I thought you bought new ones?” You see, I have a pair of Nike tennis shoes that squeak every time I take a step. Now when I say they squeak, I mean they really squeak. They are so loud that you can hear them over the TV from across the house.

I thought, “Ha! I got her!” I got ready for the grand apology, I proudly walked into the room to show her that I had the new ones on.

Now picture this, I am standing in our living room with a smile that was so big I could have eaten a banana sideways, waiting for the apology and my bride just sat there with a look like she was contemplating her life choice of marrying me. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, all she said was, “Really?! Did you buy a pair of the same shoes?!”

Deflated, the smile fell from my face. She was right—I had no excuse. I hated those squeaky shoes, yet here I was with another identical pair. The squeaking wasn’t a new issue; it had plagued the last two pairs as well. Forget reading other people's minds, I wish I could read my own!

Why did I buy them? Out of habit, I guess. I’ve been buying the same brand and style of what Claire calls ‘dad shoes’ for the last 10 years. What can I say, I like routine. But I wasn’t always like that. My friend Jim used to say, “Dennis Rath likes change for the sake of change.” Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older, but now I like some things to stay the same while embracing change where it makes sense.

Take real estate, for example. I saw the industry changing six years ago and adapted. As you know from my newsletter, I’ve been saying for years that sellers shouldn’t be obligated to pay the buyer’s agent a certain amount. Trust me, I am not some clairvoyant; anyone who has spent any time in the real estate business could see it was a flawed business model. Seriously, why should the seller pay for someone working against their best interest? Sellers want the highest price with the least hassle, while buyers want to pay as little as possible.

Since the changes that came from the lawsuit, many agents are leaving the industry, while others are resisting change. They argue that sellers should be locked into paying a commission, so agents won’t steer buyers away. That’s ridiculous! In today’s market, 100% of buyers look online and can’t filter by how much commission a buyer’s agent gets paid.

I’m a guy who likes routine when it comes to tennis shoes, but I’m also smart enough to recognize and embrace changes. That’s why I’m the best broker you’ll find; grounded in what works but always ready to adapt for the better. Some changes just make sense.

Thank You Again!! -- Dennis