This was my first time buying a home on my own,” explains Constance Hicks. “A friend strongly recommended I call Keller Williams Southwest (KWSW) agent Sharon Parker. But I was emotional and uncomfortable trying something new. Against my better judgment, I went with an agent I had done business with before. I didn’t even give Sharon a conversation.”
For her new home, Constance selected a new build. “What my agent did not tell me,” says Constance, “was that he had started doing real estate only part time. This was in April of 2021, before prices went up and during the height of COVID. I had picked my lot, but hadn’t yet paid the earnest money when I got a call from the selling agent. They had contacted my agent and let him know that they were only writing two contracts a month, and needed the earnest money to write mine. He didn’t respond or tell me. The selling agent wanted to know if I wanted to go back on the waitlist. I was livid!”
Not sure what to do, Constance contacted Sharon. “As it turned out, Sharon had a longstanding relationship with the builder. While she couldn’t get me a contract that month, he was able to get me on the top of the list the next month. She saved me!”
It wouldn’t be the first fire Sharon would put out for Constance. “Sharon warned me to stay on top of my mortgage company…to know how far out I could lock in a rate in the event rates started to rise. My mortgage company assured me they would call when rates started climbing. We got to a point that my build was at a standstill because materials were on backorder. Sharon still called weekly to check in. During one of those calls, she mentioned interest rates were going up. The mortgage company had not called as promised. Again, I was livid. Sharon recommended I talk to a supervisor. I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been if Sharon hadn’t called me!”
“Through all of the trials,” continues Constance, “Sharon kept telling me the goal was to drive into my driveway and love my new home without feeling jilted. She held my hand throughout and calmed me down when needed. She would tell me to sleep on a problem, and the next day present viable solutions. Sharon never treated me like just a file. Making sure that I was 100% happy with my purchase mattered to her.”
by Amy Sharp, Upclose Magazine
