Over the last year I’ve become the realtor of record in the Genesee County Family Court in a number of divorce cases. This was an interesting experience. What I learned was that in each home sale, the nuances and details necessary to insure that each party would be successful at the closing is different than in other transactions. This encouraged me to learn as much as I could about my role in the sale of a marital home during a divorce.
While I always like to “learning by doing” I began to research whether there was any formal training I could take. After a bit of searching online, I discovered a series of classes that would make me a Certified Divorce Realtor.
I passed.
Today I am only one of a few dozen Certified Divorce Realtors in the country. The skill set necessary to sell a home in a divorce is light years away from the skills necessary to sell a home not steeped in a fog of personal conflict.
As the result of my training, here are the 5 things I’m expected to do when selling a house as the result of a divorce:
- I am expected to be an expert about the house and the market with a sales strategy proven to sell similar houses.
- I am expected to be a problem solver.
- I am expected to prevent, diffuse and resolve conflict as it relates to the house.
- I am expected to be a neutral, unbiased third party with no vested interest in the outcome for either party.
- I am expected to make sure the house gets sold.
Here are the things I can never do:
- Give any appearance of favoritism or impropriety.
- Operate as a dual agency – represent both parties in a sale or purchase.
- Put my interest above those of my clients.
- To give legal, family law, real estate or tax law advice.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? Yet you’d be amazed even after 15 years in the business how easy it is to make a mistake when it comes to divorces.
For example, I learned not to meet with both the husband and wife at the house at the same time. One of them may be intimidating the other without either one realizing it. This could lead me to misunderstand the true goals of both the spouses during the sale.
There are dozens of other examples, but I think you can imagine how the wrong move by a well-intentioned Realtor can lead to anger and emotional conflict at some point during the sale.
So why am I writing this? While this blog article will only be read by my friends and clients, after my experience and training I’ve decided that if they – or their family or friends – ever need to sell a home in a divorce they should talk to me first. I know how to make a divorce go a little smoother for them.
That’s the kind of gift any friend should want to give to their friend during a divorce.