How Politics and Sacramento Real Estate Can Be a Good Thing

Women’s March, January 21, 2017, Sacramento, California

If you think politics and Sacramento real estate don’t mix, you must not spend a lot of time with people in Sacramento. I love this city! As an example, my team member Josh and I went on a listing appointment yesterday and met the most charming client. He was gracious as to offer us hot tea. Entering his home was like walking into a private sanctuary. It’s one of those homes in Sacramento that will be a delightful pleasure to sell, more so than usual. What made our visit unusual was listening to the strong opinions about politics and Sacramento real estate from the seller. Pretty much all in one breath.

About now you’re probably asking, what did we do? Well, we engaged. I let sellers take the lead mostly because I’m very interested in what they want. Once I know what they want, I can deliver. As we discussed the sorry state of affairs in Washington, D.C., I reminded him (like I remind everyone) that this is not normal. It’s also not normal to discuss politics and Sacramento real estate at a listing appointment but I can understand why the seller feels such passion about it. He is not part of the problem. I enjoyed our rapport.

This discussion, though, made me wonder later how I would react were the shoe on the other foot. Let’s say I vehemently disagreed with a seller’s political position because the seller was vocal about supporting Donald Trump. Would I sit quietly and listen? Would I engage in that conversation? I’m not sure that I would. Probably not. Have not been placed in that position, thank goodness. This Sacramento Realtor tends to attract like-minded people.

On the other hand, I know for a fact I would definitely not trade my integrity and ethics for a listing. Further, to be fair, there are people who voted for Trump and now regret their actions. They didn’t know what they were doing. They honestly believed a vote for Trump was nothing more than a vote against Hillary. Because they didn’t like the way things were going. Did not want more of it. I get that. They didn’t really mean to screw up the entire country. Which is probably why Trump’s approval rating is in the dumpster.

But the rest of that constituency, the Alt-Right? The racists, the homophobics, misogynistics, those who deny climate change or who put business interests above human rights? I would not hesitate to walk out of the house immediately. In that event, politics and Sacramento real estate would preserve my sanity through disengagement. They would not like a liberal representing them either. Mutual feeling.

Yup, I would never sell a Ku Klux Klan home. I would not work with a White Supremacist. If you want to bash the LGBTQIA, I’ll show you the door. We won’t get along if you hang on every Trump tweet, swelling with pride. Some lines do need to be drawn.