A Holistic Approach to Real Estate

Kristy Woodford, CEO of Holistic Home Group

Real estate is stressful. It’s also emotional. Now more than ever, agents are encountering buyers and sellers struggling to navigate the process with their sanity intact.

If you are in the market to buy or sell property, are you feeling stressed by the low-supply, multiple-offer environment? If you’re overwhelmed by the unknowns of buying and selling during uncertain times you are not alone. The consensus from the other agents I interact with is that transactions are rocky right now and I believe it has a lot to do with these emotional times.

From my 14 years of experience, I do believe there are actions one can take to make the experience less stressful and more successful.

1. Educate yourself and be prepared. A good strategy session with a competent agent will go a long way in creating a clear and smooth path to your home purchase or sale. 
2. Focus on what you can control. Ask your agent for your options and don’t muddy your clarity by getting distracted by things outside of your control. After you have an inspection, your options are clearly outlined in the inspection contingency. You can walk away, ask for seller concessions or just ask for nothing and move forward to closing. It’s amazing how stuck and upset the parties become when they don’t focus on those three categories. You can’t control the seller’s response, for example. You can only ask for what you need and await their reply.
3. Take a breath. In the last six years that I have applied a holistic approach to real estate with myself and my clients, this has been the most powerful tool for bringing me back to clarity and resolution. When the going gets tough, breathe. Go take a walk, get outside, meditate, do whatever brings you joy and distracts you from the stress. Take just 15 minutes to not think about the problem and when you come back to it you are more likely to see a clearer solution than when you were deep in it.
4. Consider win-win negotiations. What I have found in my experience in real estate is there is win-win or lose-lose and not much in between. Remember, if you don’t take into account what the other party needs from the transaction, you are likely to both lose when the deal falls apart. You need to know your limit to negotiate, but you also need to find out what the other party needs to move forward to closing.

Our world is divided right now, and it is bubbling up in the workplace and certainly in real estate. Is it possible to get what you want and stay healthy in the process? I think so, but it sure seems to be requiring greater intention and mindfulness than ever before. 

Kristy Woodford is CEO of Holistic Home Group, which is affiliated with Keller Williams South Sound. She has over ten years of experience as a broker of residential real estate in Thurston County and leads a team of realtors experienced in serving local buyers and sellers.  Contact her at  360-508-2800 or write to KWoodford@kw.com.