Most frequently hired Realtor® in Canyon Creek - YOUR TRUSTED RESOURCE.

I overheard a nurse talking to an intern the other day, at a coffee shop while I waiting for my appointment, and something she said really stuck with me.

She told him, “You have no credits in the bank.”

He looked at her, completely puzzled. What are you talking about?

She reminded him that he had been rude to another nurse a few days earlier. She said he could have just as easily been kind, respectful and helpful, and by doing so, he would have earned a credit in the bank.

Then she explained:

Relationships are a give-and-take.

Every time we do something kind for someone, show respect, lend a hand, listen, or simply treat someone the way we would want to be treated, we’re making a deposit in our relationship bank account.

And when we are rude, dismissive, inconsiderate or hurtful?

That’s a withdrawal.

The nurse looked at him and said, “You are rapidly approaching bankruptcy!”

I had to smile, but her message really made me think.

Our reputation is built one interaction at a time.

Whether it’s in our personal lives or our businesses, people remember how we treated them. They remember whether we kept our word. Whether we showed up. Whether we listened. Whether we were kind when we didn’t have to be.

And those little deposits add up.

In real estate, I’ve learned that relationships are far more valuable than any single transaction. A sale may last a few months, but the reputation we build can last for decades.

You can’t manufacture trust when you suddenly need it.

You have to deposit it along the way.

A thank-you.
A helping hand.
A thoughtful phone call.
Keeping a promise.
Giving someone the benefit of the doubt.
Being honest, even when the truth isn’t necessarily what someone wants to hear.

Those are all deposits.

And here’s the thing about a bank account: you don’t want to wait until you need the money to start making deposits.

The same is true of our relationships.

So this week, I’m thinking about my own “relationship bank account.”

Am I making enough deposits?

Because at the end of the day, our reputation isn’t what we say about ourselves.

It’s what others remember about how we made them feel.

How will you make a deposit in someone’s account today?

Until next Monday…

Keep learning, keep growing, and Be the Difference.

— Dorie Dillard
Your Trusted Resource for Real Estate & Community