209 - Dishonestly Comes Back to Bite You in the Ass, Daniel Smith

Want to know why it’s so important to get a home inspection? Let Daniel Smith, an author, speaker, and strategist, tell you the story of when someone tried to sue him for nondisclosure. Listen in to learn why honesty is the best policy, what agents do that’s so valuable, and what can happen when dishonestly comes back to bite you in the ass.

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Time Stamped Show Notes

01:00 – Introducing Daniel, he sold real estate until 2007, then sold his business 01:50 - He started speaking, writing, teaching, is a principal broker, and married a broker 02:40 - He enjoys working with real estate professionals 03:15 – Dan’s CSIRE story 03:20 - He’s in California, which is a very litigious state; he was sued 7 times and won all the ones he went to court for 04:20 - The first one was the most memorable; his broker and owner were livid and he was in his mid-20s 05:10 - He ended up going to court for non-disclosure; they wanted enough money to pay for the house 07:25 - The home inspector saved the day; he showed pictures proving Daniel’s case and the judge dismissed all charges and dropped the case 07:55 - The homeowners were trying to game the system and cut the support beams under the house; they got caught and messed up their own home 08:40 – The lessons 09:05 - There are sketchy people out there 11:10 - You need a home inspection 11:30 - As a seller, be honest; as a buyer, do your due diligence and be honest 13:30 - Virtual operations may change things because of COVID-19 14:30 - REALTORS® are necessary and agents are valuable; just using an app isn’t enough 16:40 - Urbanites are running for the hills because they aren’t limited by location anymore 18:05 – How to reach Dan: his website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter  18:45 - He might be on TikTok soon; he’s fighting it, though

3 Key Points

Tell the truth. Get a home inspection. As a REALTOR®, it’s not your job to fill out the disclosure.