In 2003, I called a potential client and asked him to meet me at a 5-unit strip center in Farmington Hills. For years I’d been proposing property purchases to him , but none was quite right. Reluctantly, he agreed to meet—again. After a long meeting he tendered an offer and we eventually closed with a land contract—a deal that also perfectly suited the seller.
Over the next 20 years, he and I completed more than 20 separate transactions together. He came to know that, no matter the circumstances, I always had his best interest in mind, because I cared more about our relationship than the transaction.
Earlier last year it came time for this client to sell that 5-unit strip center. It wasn’t an easy feat this time around either. Though demand was relatively high, so were interest rates. We took a page from our 2003 playbook and structured a land contract deal that was beneficial to both him and the buyer.
In 20 years maybe the new owner will be ready to sell. I hope he’ll trust me to bring him the right buyer. We’ve got the beginnings of that kind of relationship. Because that’s what makes this business sing for me: the people and their trust.
