If you come home one day and are surprised to find someone there you didn't expect, it certainly could be a burglar, could be the furnace repair guy, could possibly be an estranged spouse hoping to patch things up or make them worse, but could also be a Real Estate broker.

Early on in my Real Estate career I was, as anyone could readily understand, zealously dedicated to doing the best job I could for my clients and customers; And I still am, but back then I wanted to preview every single house about which I was planning to have even the most casual conversation with my client or customer or regardless of circumstances, a pretty ambitious standard, to say the least.

In pursuit of this ambitious standard, I set out one day to preview a house I was planning to talk with a client about, and I found it o.k. in spite of hard to fathom sketchy and confusing directions. I knocked on the door and since no one seemed to be around walked right in. I checked every room thoroughly while giving careful thought every step of the way to whether or not this house might be appropriate for my clients. The house was wonderful; It was perfect for my clients. I rushed back to the office over running with enthusiasm and discovered much to my chagrin that not only had I been in the wrong house but as far as I know the house I had just so thoroughly examined was not even for sale.

I feel so relieved to have unburdened myself of this long held secret and offer my sincerest apologies at last to the owners of that lovely home for my intrusion. Perhaps I'll have the opportunity to sell it if it ever comes on the market. I certainly won't have to preview it again. And you can be sure I've read the directions to listings much more carefully since that little Real Estate adventure and am happy to say I haven't made the same mistake again.