Girl Wears Those Shoes

FIRST LISTING

FIRST LISTING

Gigi got in the office early the next morning. Just when she sat down with a cup of coffee, Amara called and said she was ready to list her house with Gigi. However, her condition was that she would only give Gigi three months to move it. Gigi rushed to Eddie to break the news.

“What did you say about the listing for three months?” Eddie asked.

“I said no problem. Did I make a mistake? Please tell me I didn’t make a blunder.”

“We normally ask for a six month term,” he explained. “We present to the seller that our goal is to sell it as soon as possible of course. We don’t mean to drag it for six months but the term gives us more time to plan and market. Three months is pushing it. It may be tough is all I can say. But we’ll take it and we’ll do what we can.”

Like an old Chinese saying: A new born calf has no fear of a tiger. Gigi hardly had any concern of failing. With a big grin, she visualized the victorious quick closing.

That afternoon, Amara came to the office to sign the listing agreement. Eddie was with Gigi.

“Why are you here with her?” Amara asked.

Eddie stammered. “I . . . I just happen to be better with paperwork.” He thought of a reasonable response in a blink. In reality, Gigi just had no idea how to write a listing agreement yet. Also, she didn’t have a clue about how she was to present the agreement to her first client.

Reclining on the chic yellow chair, Amara made an irritated face and said, “Some men are control freaks. Why don’t you write the listing agreement yourself?”

“Oh, don’t worry about the agreement. Let’s try and get your house sold.” Gigi served her a cup of hot tea. “So, how did you decide on me?”

“There’s this Chinese fortuneteller in Chinatown. Have you heard about him?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about him.”

“Have you ever gone to him?”

“I heard about him . . . but no.” Gigi puzzled. What did a fortune teller has to do with the listing?

“Well, I got up early because there is always a long line outside his shop. I got there at around 3 or 4 in the morning.”

“That early? What did he say?” Gigi asked.

“I asked the fortuneteller whether I should list my house with this Chinese girl. He said I should. He asked me to give you a shot. That’s how I made my decision.”

“Ha! Unbelievable! I think I owe the fortuneteller a big one!”

“What?”

Gigi gave a dismissive wave. “Nothing. I’m so happy to be working with you, Amara! I so appreciate the opportunity!”

“Congrats on your first listing.” Eddie cheered. “Should we open a bottle of champagne or what?”

“Of course! I’m always up for some champagne!” Gigi sat at Eddie’s desk. She started to bite her nails. “Uh . . . do you think that three-month thing could be a problem? I don’t even know how a transaction works.”

“You’ll learn.”

“How soon can we close the deal?”

“Well, for that, you’ve got a long way to go, baby girl!”

“How long does it take?”

“You get in a contract, which is great. Now, there will be an option period. During that period, the buyer has the inspection done. Then the re-negotiation starts due to the issues that arise from the inspection. Let’s say we successfully pass the option period, then the buyer would get a loan and we’ll need to make sure the appraisal comes through. So, normally, it takes around 30-45 days to close if the buyer is getting financed.” Eddie tried to outline the process.

“Ugh! Think my hair will turn gray by that time.”

“Whiner!” Eddie teased. “In real estate, you work for the future, because we don’t get paid until the house is closed and funded. Remember that.”

“Ha, there goes my cash flow!” Gigi said as she jumped to her feet and checked the time on her wristwatch. It was almost 5 o’clock. She had a dinner plan with Hanna. “Anyways, thank you for all the mentorship. I’ll make a note of that, Ed.”