I want to take a moment here to recognize the importance of Realtors. Sometimes there is a disconnect between the real estate attorneys and the Realtors in a transaction, and that is a shame.  I am new to conducting business in this geographical area, but I am not new to real estate.  I have historically tried to make a concerted effort to work closely with the Realtors in any transaction where I am involved either on the buying or the selling side.  Real estate transactions are an emotion-soaked trade.  People are saying hello or goodbye to their homes, their second homes, or their livelihood businesses.  By the nature of our roles in the transactions, attorneys tend to be a step away from what is “really” happening on the ground.  Human nature and emotion ultimately drive the course of the transaction, either smoothly or roughly.  Realtors are the “boots on the ground” workers in the transaction.  They are my go-to for information on the personalities of the parties.  I know they are taking phone calls at all hours and all days of the week from my client and inevitably have a better idea of practical side of what my client wants and needs.  The Rules of Professional Conduct generally prohibit me from directly interacting with the parties on the other side, once they are represented, so the Realtor may give me my only view of the personalities of those parties.  I may write twelve contract addendums to address inspection issues (sadly, that is not a fictitious exaggeration, but a real, although thankfully rare, story) but it’s the Realtor letting the contractors in to get the work done and telling me that it got done so I know we can move forward.

So thank you for all that you do, Realtors.  Don’t think we don’t appreciate you.  I can’t speak for all real estate attorneys, but Peter has given me the digital microphone to speak for Decato Law Office and we know you’re worth your weight in gold.  When I transitioned to this office, saying goodbye to my Realtors at my prior office was one of the hardest parts of the move – if not THE hardest.  I was and am thankful for the relationships that we built and I am so looking forward to my new friendships already forming with Realtors here.