Solo agent Bridget Potterton has been in real estate for 20
years in San Diego. She closed over $20 million in sales last year and is on
track to surpass last year’s goals. She’s also an expert in the transactions
that come from divorce proceedings.

In fact, she sat down with us to talk about her experiences in
the divorce niche once before.

Bridget knows there is so much misinformation when it comes
to dealing with real estate and divorces. And some of that misinformation is
downright bad. And while she knows agents overwhelmingly want to help others
going through this experience in their lives, sometimes the mistakes they make
end up doing more harm than good.

That’s why she’s sharing what she’s learned along the way in
four key challenge areas to help you help people going through a divorce in
their real estate transactions. 

Challenge area #1: Communication

As for any professional entering into what may be a
difficult situation, it’s important to understand what you’re walking into.
Bridget suggests doing both an initial title pull so you understand the details
surrounding the transaction and avoid surprises. She also suggests doing a more
formalized intake. With an intake, you’ll find out the best way to communicate
with all parties involved in the transaction and find out if there is a court
order requiring them to sell the house. This is important because you need to
know on the front end if you’ll be communicating differently with each party,
if there are details you will not be sharing with booth parties, and if there
are family law aspects that exist around selling the house

Bridget shares that she usually communicates separately with
the parties to keep things safe and neutral. It’s important to stay a neutral
party. Your job is to fix the real estate mess, not to take sides. It’s also
important to be careful with your words when you’re interacting with potential
clients going through divorce. After all, you don’t know if something you say
can be an unexpected trigger.

Challenge area #2: Legal Aspects

It’s safe to say you’re not an attorney. And while you may
or may not have personal experience in the world of divorce – any experience
you have is not the same as the one your client may be going through.
Therefore, stay in your lane. Don’t give legal advice, get emotional or provide
any suggestions around what they should do with their divorce.

It’s also reasonable to expect that everything you say may
be used in court. Why? Because you are selling a house that is in the middle of
a lawsuit. Document everything – put it all in writing. For example, recap
conversations into email. You may be called to testify and want to be prepared.

Challenge area #3: Emotions

Divorce listings naturally have an emotional aspect to them, even
if the parties have been divorced for many years. Don’t expect people to behave
logically when emotions are concerned. It’s important to remember that you’re
involved in a transaction relating to what’s likely a very dark period in your
clients’ lives. Ideally, you’re able to work with the parties involved to
figure out a solution and timeline that works for both sides.

And as Bridget reminds us, don’t forget about your own mental
health during these transactions. They can be tough on everyone – yourself
included. Especially when you don’t get treated the way you’d expect. Keep in
mind that your clients are going through a lot – you may not get the thank you
you’d expect to receive.

Challenge area #4: Unique Challenges

With real estate transactions involved in divorces, delays
are often inevitable. Talk to your vendors on the front end of the transaction
about how to handle delays. And remember, just because it is a divorce listing,
doesn’t mean it’s a distressed sale. You don’t need to disclose to potential
buyers that the sale is a result of a divorce.