Real Estate Pessimists

An optimist sees the best in the world, while a pessimist sees only the worst. An optimist finds the positive in the negative, and a pessimist can only find the negative in the positive.

For example, as a real estate agent, I was always looking for properties with that "something special" that would make my work of marketing the property something interesting. A house I listed one May topped all the other houses I had ever listed for sale. Not only did this house have all the features of the most popular houses in the area, along with a very reasonable asking price, it also came with the cutest, most obedient dog, which could walk on water! The owners were emigrating to Australia, and could not take the dog with, unfortunately.

Yes, I was also sceptical, but after a demonstration by the owner, I just couldn't believe my eyes. The dog actually ran across the surface of the swimming pool in the back yard!

Realising that this "feature" of the house would have homebuyers and the other real estate agents from my mls sceptical about my honesty, I decided to try to break the news to one real estate agent at a time, starting with a long-time friend who was a fellow real estate agent.

He was a pessimist by nature, but I invited him for a "private viewing" of my wondrous latest listing. And he agreed to come. But after taking him through the whole of the property, he was still very quiet, with a little frown furrowing his brow.

I saw this as a challenge. I figured that if I could get him excited about the property, I would be able to sell it to anyone. So, I told him the asking price.

Nothing!

I pointed out to him that most homebuyers in the area wanted exactly what this home had to offer.

Nothing!

I decided that it was time for playing the trump card: A dog that walks on water. He had to be impressed! So, I threw a tennis ball across the swimming pool, and the dog bounded after it, running on the surface of the pool, without getting wet.

"The house comes with that dog that you just saw running on water!" I said. But the little frown just got a little deeper.

When we got back to our cars, we shook hands, and he said flatly: "The house is okay, but good luck finding a buyer that will be willing to take the dog as well."

"What do you mean good luck", I asked.

"I mean," drawled the pessimist slowly, "it's too bad you got stuck with a dog that can't swim."