The Loss of a Sale (Opportunity)

Every week I go on several estate interviews. So, someone calls me and asks how an estate sale works, and then they tell me their situation. At this point, it is 50/50 - downsizing to death in the family. So i set up an interview appointment to meet in person at the home where we would be conducting a sale. I am being interviewed by the family who called to see if I am the right fit for the job they need. I am also interviewing them to see if their sale, and essentially they themselves would be a good fit for our company. Most of the time, I can work with anyone. My job before estate sales, in management and hospitality prepared me for this. It is difficult for me to tell clients, “No.” or “I can’t help you”. And So I rarely do.

I have many options for them if their job is too small (about half of the calls I go on are just not full enough to generate enough money to pay a company to do the job). Often I recommend an estate auction, or a full buyout. But sometimes there isn’t even enough for that, and they just have to pay a cleanout company to remove everything so they can proceed to sell the house, which is usually exponentially more valuable than the estate contents.

Recently I went on a job and was extremely excited to conduct the sale. The family were all not on the same page so they asked me to come in and inventory everything in the house. So I got a crew together and we went in each room of the 5000 sq ft house and opened every drawer, closet, cabinet and storage tub and made a list of everything. Everything. When we were all done, it was 974 inventory lines. Some were groups, like one line would be “Group of Mikasa Dishes” Some were labeled, “Set of 4 dining chairs”. There was a lot in the house. I was even more excited. Seeing and touching everything was just fun. This was a high end home with vintage modern furniture and just tons of paintings, prints and all kinds of small little trinkets that were up my alley. And, when I say up my alley, I mean things I like personally, not just things that would sell.

I developed a rapport with the client. We joked about the amount of tiems and the taste and choices of the previous owners, who had passed. I was reminded that there was one family member who is not always on the same page as the rest of the family. I figured it would all work out, but just as we get into the final stretch of the dates before the sale, the brother decides he wants to keep everything and works out a deal with the family for everything left in the house. So the sale is canceled. There was a contract signed with me, so the family is liable for my minimum commission. (and yes they paid for my time to inventory) But it would really just be me pressing to receive that minimum commission money. I know, professionally it is proper and expected. But I am not one to press people. I would rather they volunteer the payment, or at least leave the relationship with a feeling of our company, and me being a good resource and person to deal with.

This has happened several times over the course of of 19 years in the business. And sometimes, honestly, it’s a relief, as there are some weeks where we are just overworked.

But this time was difficult. It was so exciting, and I was raring to go into a good and big sale. It’s not like I just go on to the next one when this happens with a sale I care about. Instead, I tend to go into obsessing about what I could have said to change things, or wondering where some of the items will end up, and can I purchase directly from the family member? How can I see the final resting home of these lovely and rare pieces, and can that resting home be my home? It’s a strange thing. It is a loss, to be sure.

I really enjoy the experience of conducting these sales. I love walking in and seeing items before anyone rummages through them. The state of these people’s homes after they have left is interesting to me. It’s enjoyable to go from house to house in geographic and financially different areas and see how people lived. Going through these homes can be as good as anyone who is curious would imagine, but other times it really is just a job of trying to get clients to sell what they called me there to sell in the first place (everything) or it’s just labor in the worst way. We pick up after people every single day. It is our job. I am not complaining. But it can be taxing and it can be boring, and monotonous to lay out your 1200th Corelle set of dishes (which sell faster than lenox or wedgewood).

And this time, I got to see the house. I got to be excited to show the public the sale. I got excited thinking of how this is just another GREAT ESTATE under my belt. And now it was over - no sale. There won’t be any contact further with the family and I am finished with the transaction. Simple for the family, of course. But for me, a loss. Oh well. On to the next.