By 
Every expert has once been a beginner. I am a human. I am not perfect. I know that people love to be entertained, and appreciate REAL people.
Many real estate agents have locked themselves out of the home they are showing. Many have set off a home alarm. The story I am about to share has actually happened to me March 2019ish.
Chapter Three: Maybe We Can Get a Big Stick?
Some potential clients from out of town reached out to me and wanted to see some homes in East Texas. Their home in the state that they lived-in was already under contract, and they were already pre-qualified to purchase a new home in Texas.
Fun Fact! If you are wanting to buy a home, and you need to sell your home in order to purchase, then we need to meet to discuss the timeframe. If you choose to submit an offer, it’s stronger if the home you live in is also under contract as well.
They were interested in homes within an hour radius of Tyler, TX, and they were going to be in town for only a few days. I asked to see their list of homes they would like to see… and they gave me 98. For real. We were able to eliminate 75% of the amount because they were: under contract, sold, or way too far from where they wanted to live. So it came down to about 24 houses. So naturally, there was going to be a lot of driving involved. I scheduled appointments with all 24 real estate agents, and also prepped them that we were going to see multiple homes. We needed a lot of grace!
I gave my clients the schedule,told them to bring the essentials, and that we were going to meet at the first property at 8:30 am and end around 6:00 pm-7:00 pm. The first home was a little over an hour away from Tyler, TX, but it was in a fabulous subdivision, and I knew several people that already lived there. We met at the first house, and the potential buyers were SUPER nice and a ton of fun. I immediately knew we were going to get along! The first house was not the one, but the second house was only about 5 minutes away from the first house. So, we made our way to the second home.
We arrived at the second home, and it had a circle driveway, but it was also on top of a culvert. So there a drop from the top of the driveway to the bottom of the culvert. There was a vehicle parked on the circle drive, so I could not pull all the way through, and my potential clients had to park on the street. We toured the house, they liked this one better than the first one, but we also had 10 more homes to see that day… and 12 the next day. Because the third home was 45 minutes away, and potential clients needed to get more gasoline and a snack, I told them to start making their way there. They left. I was getting the map of my phone ready for the next property. Again, I had to back out because there was a vehicle on the circle drive. I started backing out…. And then… it happened.
I BACKED OFF THE DRIVEWAY INTO THE DITCH WHERE THE CULVERT WAS! Yes, it actually happened. Panic ensued. Tammy Faye Baker tears were absolutely happening. I got out of my car, and in my nude high heels, and crazed panic, I actually tried lifting the car. Whelp. That didn’t work. I called my car insurance agent, and they said there would be a tow truck… in 90 minutes! I freaked. I had done everything right! Planned every showing down to the last minute, and this happened. I called my potential clients; they also were not thrilled. They were only in town for 2 days! It was definitely not only of my finer moments. I told them about the amount of time, and I told them to drive by the homes to see if they liked the area… while I waited on a tow truck. What were 90 minutes?
Did I mention that this was on a street that EVERYONE drove on and that this was in a small town? Well, it’s true, and my car probably was the talk of the town that day. Then, some random guys came in a truck arrived. Normally, you’re not really supposed to talk to strangers, but I was stressed out. One of the guys said, “Maybe we can get a big stick, and lift it out?” Being a former math teacher, I knew, the probability of that working was 0%. But, I appreciate the fact they wanted to help. Then, the next-door neighbor came out. I had already talked to strangers, so while not a few more? He told me to come to his house and drink a cup of coffee. Again, you’re not supposed to go inside the homes of random neighbors in a house you don’t know.
So, I went inside the neighbor’s house. After 90 minutes, and with a cup of coffee with cream, I called the tow truck company, and they informed me that the tow truck was stuck in traffic… on Interstate-20. This is when I lost it! Apparently, the tow truck was coming from Dallas, TX which was over 2 hours away from where I was at! Out of all of the tow trucks in East Texas, they picked someone who did not have their business in East Texas. By this point, I asked my future buyers if they would just pick me up so that we could see the other 10 homes. During all of this mess, they were able to eliminate 3, which helped. While I was waiting for my clients to pick me up, the neighbor said “Well, since you’re here for lunch, I am going to make your lunch. Would you like a tuna sandwich?” So ate the tuna sandwich, chips, unsweet tea, and continued to stew about how HORRIBLE this situation was. What a great first impression!
I ditched my car, I was picked up, we saw all of the houses, and then my mother-in-law drove me back to get the car in the evening. According to the neighbor, the tow-truck company didn’t arrive at the property for 4 HOURS!
What Did I Learn From This Story?
- I will ALWAYS park on the street if there is a culvert.
- Even though you can plan every minute, life still happens.
- Even though sometimes you’re not supposed to talk to strangers, sometimes they are the people you need to rely on.
The future buyers ended up liking a larger city instead of what I had shown them. When they told me, they were going to a different city, they said that they wished they could bring me with them because they enjoyed working with me so much. They have become great friends, and I wish them all the best! Not all is completely lost, because I have learned from my mistakes. Trust me, there will be more chapters of Embarrassing Home Showing Moments of Kelly Raulston. Thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!
Additional Chapters of Embarrassing Home Showing Moments of Kelly Raulston
Chapter One: License Please
Chapter Two: What's That Noise?
Kelly Raulston
“Reliable and Ready” REALTOR® since 2016. I was born in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, but was raised in Texas since 1997. When I found out we were moving to Plano, Texas, I remember looking forward to riding a horse to school and a brand-new pair of cowboy boots! Growing up in Plano prepared me to be competitive, quick, and to have a strong work ethic.
I graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Axe’em Jacks! That is where my love for East Texas began. The nature, warm smiles, football games, and community values can't be beat! I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I was a middle school math teacher in Tyler, Texas. I met my husband, Travis, in Sunday school, and we have been married since September 2016.
I love being a REALTOR® in East Texas! Relationships are genuine, the area is beautiful, and the market is rockin’! I am an involved REALTOR® to better the community. Some of the organizations I am involved with are: The Professional Development Committee, Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee, and Tyler Educational Networking Group. Some awards I have won were “The Hustle Award” in 2016, and “Rookie of the Year” in 2017.
When I am not working with my clients, I like to spend quality time with my friends and family doing the following: running, target practice, read and participate in book club, and playing with my dachshund Greta.
