Real estate: “The visit was going well, until the buyer took out a divining pendulum”

Necessarily entering into the privacy of their clients, real estate agents are witnesses – involuntary and discreet – of situations that are, if not delicate, at least comical. Like Catherine, who works in a chic Parisian suburb.

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“The phone rings again, it starts again”rejoices a real estate agent based in the Var, in this month of November which sees credit rates falling again, to 3.55% on average over 20 yearsand prices fall by 7 to 8% over two years in the former. The prospect, for real estate agents, of seeing a growing number of candidates for property ownership push through their doors to visit this showcase property that is absolutely their favorite. Visits during which real estate agents see green and unripe things… Whether their clients are buyers or sellers, real estate agents necessarily enter into the privacy of families and become witnesses – involuntary and discreet – of situations if not delicate, at least funny.

Like Catherine, a real estate agent in a chic and bucolic Parisian suburb. “In my area, there is an international school, so I have a large clientele of foreigners, looking for houses of character”she says. Very happy to present a lovely millstone from the end of the 19th century to a Dutch family, Catherine quickly became disillusioned when she saw the couple’s two “little boys”, “teenagers almost two meters tall who struggled to turn around in the 11 square meter rooms, a standard size in France!”

When a real estate sale hangs on a divinatory pendulum

If Catherine smiles at the mention of this anecdote, another leaves her more circumspect. “A Chinese couple makes an offer, not on price, on a house. The owner examines it and, when he sees their names, tells me that he will not accept it, because of their nationality, especially since “these people have lots of money”.» Catherine remains stoic and explains to her Chinese customers that the owner considers their offer too low. No matter, they pick it up. Catherine tries everything and submits this new offer to the owner of the house. Between two planes and obsessed by the price, which this time suited him, he no longer stopped at the nationality of the buyers and counter-signed the offer. Catherine keeps one bittersweet memorybetween disgust at the personality of the owner and the satisfaction of having finally allowed his customers to buy the property of their dreams.

What she did not manage to do with another couple, Japanese this time. “However, the visit went very well, they liked the house, we felt they were close to falling in love. I was feeling in my pocket for the purchase offer that I had pre-filled when the buyer took out a divinatory pendulum to check the good and bad vibes of the house”relates Catherine. Who followed, holding his breath, the movements of the pendulum: “In some rooms he didn’t move, in others he got carried away, I didn’t understand what that meant…” The verdict is in: too many bad vibes, no offer! “I sold the house to another family, more traditional, a few weeks later”laughs Catherine. Like her, don’t hesitate to write to us to share your unusual visits!