Constructive Criticism and Sacramento Real Estate

Some people think they are helping to improve a delicate situation by providing what they call “constructive criticism.” I have long been an opponent of constructive criticism. Not even somebody who hails from the South — with all of its sweet and enduring euphemisms — can pull it off. There is no way to tell a person that you’re about to say something really horrible about them, but it’s for their own good . . . and they’ll thank you later. Because it’s not and they won’t.

No matter how you cut it, constructive criticism is criticism. It’s judgmental. It says one person knows better than another. It’s one thing if it’s parent to child; it’s another if it’s peer to peer. In my own real estate practice, I try never to correct another person, because even though I might believe my way is the best way to do something, they might not. If another agent asks for my help, for example, I will give it, freely. But I don’t ordinarily try to fix somebody else’s problems without permission, and that’s what constructive criticism is, trying to correct a problem that you don’t have permission to address.

I don’t want to get involved in other people’s wars, either. I’m a good bullet dodger, and that’s what I do. I dodge bullets.

I love to sell real estate. I love to talk to people about real estate, I love the negotiation and the thrill of closing. There’s where I focus my time. So, it’s not that I’m avoiding those who call and want me to participate in their cause, it’s just that I’m focused elsewhere.

If you want to sell or buy a home in the Sacramento area, call Elizabeth Weintraub. I’ll be direct with you and brutally honest, but I’ll never offer constructive criticism.