Joe Celentano, a dear old friend of mine, became a real estate agent in Connecticut many years ago after a long career in the restaurant industry.  He’d had enough of that – the hassle, the expense, the 24/7 worry.  Real estate is not without worry, of course, but the reward he feels when he helps a family find a home they love is worth it for him.

If I hadn’t stumbled into a relationship with an agent here in Los Angeles before I even really thought about it, I would make that kind of person my target.  If I didn’t have friends in the real estate and mortgage businesses, I wouldn’t have known where to start.  But like most people in Los Angeles, I can’t swing a dead cat without hitting at least one agent  and one mortgage broker.   And so before I knew it, I was working with Agent Myrna, although I have yet to sign any agreement binding myself to her.

I met with Myrna three times, talked to her on the phone, and emailed with her frequently.  She knows that I’m not ready to make a move just yet because of the work we are doing on our current house.  She’s sensitive to my location needs:  good schools, trees, no neighbors right on top of us.  I haven’t told her yet that I’d prefer a neighborhood without barking dogs, but I have a feeling that’s a pretty tall order.  She brought her husband along to meet my husband and they hit it off right away over their mutual love of motorcycles.  She’s a longtime smoker with the gravelly voice to match.  She has an east coast no-nonsense attitude despite the fact that she’s never lived there.  I loved her on sight.

But then I met Agent Carol, who tumbled into my life as if by fate, and I remembered Joe’s advice that I should interview three agents before I sign on with anybody.  When you contract an agent to represent you in the sale of your home, you agree to work solely with that person for a set amount of time.  If your home does not sell within that time frame, you are free to renegotiate or find a new agent.  It’s very important that you are happy with yours and that he or she does the best job possible for you, and has the required experience and knowledge.

While I am very happy with the way Agent Myrna works, I don’t want to make my decision based on emotions.  Agent Carol has a long record of successfully selling homes in our neighborhood.  Agent Myrna specializes in homes in our target neighborhood.  Both of them seem capable and experienced.  And what about the third?  Well, I don’t think it will be very difficult to find a third agent to consult with in this market.

In the meantime, I emailed Agent Myrna and told her of my intentions to meet with two other potential agents before we sign any papers.  It sort of felt like breaking up with a hair stylist, or telling your boyfriend you want to see other people.  But!  Business! I kept telling myself, and cringed as I hit “send.”  I was pleasantly surprised to see, a few minutes later, that her reply was equally as businesslike and she didn’t seem offended at all.  Rather, she seemed confident that after I sow my wild oats, I will come home to her.

I like that in a woman.