One call. One act of service. That’s all it took to begin a decade-long client relationship built on trust, transparency, and doing the right thing—even when it didn’t pay off right away.

📞THE STRESSED-OUT PARENT WHO JUST NEEDED A PRO

I met this client when I was only about 8 months into my real estate career. She had reached out through an online lead source, and I’ll never forget that first call. Her daughter was moving to Chicago for a four-year graduate program, and she was stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Up to that point, she’d been ghosted or ignored by several leasing agents. She was running out of time and patience.

The first thing she said to me was something like, “I found this great rental for my daughter, and I want to book a flight to come see it tomorrow.” I said, “Hold your horses—there’s no need to fly in last-minute. I’m happy to go do a video tour and send it to you.”

She was blown away.

At the time, I didn’t realize how much simply answering the phone and offering a real solution would set me apart—but that’s often all it takes in this business: show up and follow through.

Till this day, she still says how hard it is to find a reliable, honest, and hardworking real estate professional, especially after dealing with agents in other states. But that moment—the call, the tour, the follow-up—was the beginning of something bigger.

📸 WHAT THE PHOTOS DIDN’T SHOW

I went to the unit, did the video walkthrough, and it was a good thing I did. What the listing photos didn’t show was that the rental overlooked one of the busiest interstates into downtown. That was probably why the price looked like a “steal.”

Photos never tell the full story. A video or in-person walkthrough reveals what clever angles often hide. That’s why I always try to preview a space myself—my job is to protect clients from what they don’t know they need to look for.

🚗 SEVEN SHOWINGS, ONE SOLID RELATIONSHIP

From there, we had a couple weeks of back and forth. I encouraged her to hold off on any rushed decisions and instead book a weekend trip to tour properties in person. When she, her daughter, and stepfather came to town, I had seven showings lined up—six that I had access to and could confirm my compensation on, and one that she arranged through the university her daughter was attending. That one wouldn’t offer me any commission if they chose it.

We toured all of them in a single day. I picked them up from their hotel, drove them all over the city, and we had a great time. If you know me, you know that I love those drives between showings. Some of the best conversations in this business don’t happen during tours—they happen in the car. That’s when you hear the real concerns, goals, and non-negotiables.

It’s also just who I am. I love what I do, and I bring my full self to the work—professional, yes, but also real, personable, and fun. We laughed a lot that day. It wasn’t just a transaction.

🤝 THE HONEST ANSWER THAT COST ME A PAYCHECK

After the tours, I dropped them off to enjoy the city. Later, we talked through all the options and narrowed down the best fit. She leaned heavily on my insight, and I was direct: the best option was the unit she found through the school—even though it wouldn’t pay me.

This wasn’t a decision that made business sense in the short term—but doing what’s right builds something stronger than a commission: reputation and trust. I didn’t know then how much that one moment would come back to me.

She was surprised—and deeply appreciative—that I didn’t steer her toward one of the properties that would earn me a check. She moved forward with confidence, signed the lease, and later told me how glad she was to have had someone looking out for her.

She even insisted on paying me directly afterward. And honestly, I didn’t even realize at the time that there was a way to be compensated outside of the standard industry practices. I was new, still learning, and deeply grateful. Looking back now, it’s clear: I did the right thing—and it mattered.

📈 A CLIENT FOR LIFE (AND MULTIPLE DEALS)

That first rental turned into so much more.

A year later, she reached out about investing in the city. A listing popped up in one of the neighborhoods I had previously toured with her—a great location with lots of long-term upside. Since I was still only licensed for leasing, I introduced her to one of my sales colleagues. The listing she wanted had already gone under contract, but my colleague found her an off-market opportunity at a great price.

She bought it—and hired me to lease it out.

I listed and rented that unit seven times over the years. On year twelve, she decided to sell—and I had the honor of handling the sale as well.

Along the way, she bought another investment property, sight unseen, based entirely on a video I recorded and my notes on condition, market value, and potential. I’ve been helping her find renters for that one too.

💡 WHAT YOU CAN TAKE FROM THIS STORY

Over a decade later, I still think about that first call. You never know when a single act of service becomes the beginning of something lasting. That’s how this business works—not always quickly, but always with consistency and care.

As I said, things have a way of coming back to you, and doing the right thing pays off. Maybe you can’t see that in the moment, but it does.

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I Didn’t Get Paid for That One — Because I Told Her the Truth