In the Trenches captures the odd and funny incidents that invariably happen in real estate. Here are the stories submitted this month from real estate professionals all over the country. When you're done reading, submit your own story.

But How Does It Smell?

I recently worked with a buyer who wanted her dad to see the home before making a decision. I met her dad at the home and began to show him around. As we went into the master bedroom, he asked if I knew whether or not the previous owners were smokers. I told him the home was vacant for some time and that I had no way of knowing. He then knelt down on his knees and began to rub the carpet vigorously. He put his face in the carpet and smelled where he had rubbed. Not saying anything, he got up and moved over about five feet, got back on his knees, and began once again to rub the carpet and smell. I must say that it was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen! Luckily, the home passed the sniff test and my client made an offer.

— Lisa Wright, sales associate with Weichert, REALTORS®, Stout & Associates, Katy, Texas

A Fire Sale

In the late ’80s I worked with a young couple looking for the perfect home. I showed many properties before they found one they both liked. I called the selling agent to set up a meeting to present the offer, which was quite a bit below the asking price. I arrived early at the sellers’ home, knocked on the door, and heard a gruff “come on in.” There sat the listing agent and a very grim-looking husband and wife. I smiled and introduced myself.

The room was filled with tension. The husband sat there, arms crossed, glaring across the table at me. I had attempted to “humanize” the buyers to the sellers, but it didn’t seem to do any good. As I handed each person a copy of the offer, the seller looked at it for a second, stood up, walked over to the counter, grabbed an ashtray and set it on the table, crumpled up the contract, lit it on fire, and threw it in the ashtray. As the offer burned, no one said a word.

After a few moments passed I looked at the husband and asked: “Should I take that as a no?” I started laughing out of pure nervousness. The husband burst out laughing, causing the others to laugh as well. When everyone quieted down, I asked the husband for permission to present the offer again, explaining there was a lot more to it than just the price. I went over everything in detail and managed to get the sellers to agree to a reasonable counteroffer. The buyers accepted.

When I gave the signed counteroffer to the listing agent, she said that the seller had refused to counter three other offers and has been difficult to work with. “Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” I said. We laughed again, and we still do whenever we run into each other and recall the fire sale of 1987!

— Lorena McMullen, ABR®, GRI, associate broker with RE/MAX Alliance in Livonia, Mich.

Awake to an Opportunity

I had just dropped my children off at school in the morning when I noticed a couple driving around the neighborhood looking at houses. I pulled up next to their car to ask if I could be of any help in their search. They said yes and asked if I could show them at a particular home. I agreed, but when I got out of my car I realized I was still in my nightgown with my hair all over the place. I was wearing jacket, but I still felt — and probably looked — pretty funny. I decided to make the best of the situation and said to the couple, “Look what people do for money!” We all started laughing. I didn’t know whether I’d ever hear from them again, but they called me the following day to look at another property. I was properly dressed this time and I sold them the house.

— Furtesha Carter, broker with American Heritage, in Nashville, Tenn.

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