Finding Real Estate Deals & Maintaining Relationships – April Polihonki
On this episode of The Closing Table, we sat down with April Polihonki!
To watch the full episode, check it out on YouTube below. In the meantime, here’s a summary of the conversation…
Here’s what you missed from April Polihonki…
The conversation began with a this or that icebreaker on curb appeal, turnkey property, and more. April introduces herself as a mom of three, eagerly awaiting her wedding in September. While real estate is her side hustle, her primary occupation involves being a benefits educator for Mclaren. Beyond her professional life, she enjoys spending time with friends, engaging in community activities, and embracing life’s adventures
April serves the greater Lansing area, which proves to be an exciting yet challenging market for potential buyers. The demand for homes is exceptionally high, leading to fierce competition, with each property receiving 20-30 offers due to the limited inventory. Consequently, houses are selling well above their asking prices, often within the first 1-2 days of being listed.
Having faced significant life changes, including navigating through a divorce, embracing a newfound adventurous spirit, and achieving personal milestones, April’s life experiences have profoundly influenced her approach to real estate. Especially when assisting clients undergoing similar life-changing events, April adopts a steadfast philosophy that everything eventually falls into place. She avoids overwhelming or stressing her clients and instead offers a calming and stable presence during the buying and selling process. With a reassuring demeanor, she reminds them that they are not alone and that together, they will overcome any challenges. Furthermore, April encourages open communication, creating a supportive environment for clients to share their feelings, and providing them with much-needed relief during what can be a stressful time.
April has been fortunate to have smooth transactions in her nearly three years of experience in the real estate business. Surprisingly, she hasn’t encountered any conflicts between neighbors or any challenging deals. Even her more seasoned friend in the business wonders how she has managed to avoid such situations. However, if such an event were to happen, April shares that her approach would involve active listening. Recognizing that sometimes all parties need is to be heard, she would listen attentively to both sides. She understands that the solutions she offers might not always align perfectly with their desires, but she emphasizes the importance of showing that she is trying to help and address their concerns. Her goal would be to find a compromise that satisfies both parties, ensuring a fair resolution while preserving positive relationships.
April attributes her resilience to focusing on the end goal and the determination to achieve it. This mindset drives her negotiation strategies and transaction management for her clients. She ensures that the sellers and buyers are well-informed about each step of the process, emphasizing the ultimate objective they are working towards. By keeping the end goal in sight and avoiding unnecessary stress during the journey, April maintains a steady and constant presence for her clients. Her ability to communicate clearly and navigate the experience for both buyers and sellers helps build trust and confidence, enabling her to achieve successful outcomes in complex real estate transactions.
While April hasn’t faced major issues during home inspections, she recalls an instance where the seller was under high stress due to selling two homes and relocating to another state. During the inspection, the buyers requested some repairs that the seller felt overwhelmed handling. To resolve the situation, April skillfully navigated the parties by pointing out that the buyers had offered over asking price, and the requested repairs were relatively minor. She proposed finding a reasonable-cost handyman to address the repairs, ensuring that it would facilitate the sale without burdening the seller with extensive work. With her calm demeanor and problem-solving skills, April helped both the buyer and seller reach a satisfactory resolution, reminding them that cooperation and compromise are essential to keep the deal moving forward and to ensure the happiness of both parties.
April believes that her travel experiences have significantly enriched her abilities in real estate. When traveling, she learned how to quickly identify the unique qualities of a city, finding that one special spot that makes a place stand out. Similarly, in real estate, she has honed the skill of highlighting a home’s distinctive features that may not be evident from pictures alone. By drawing attention to these unique aspects, she can better connect with potential buyers and help them envision the true potential of a property.
April then shares an experience with a cute little house located on the river, but its bedrooms were small, making it feel more like a 2-bedroom house instead of a 3-bedroom. During the open house, April was able to skillfully highlight the property’s unique feature – its picturesque view of the water. She pointed out that the third room could serve as a living room or a sunroom, where buyers could enjoy the beautiful scenery. By carefully painting a picture of how they could utilize the space, she helped potential buyers visualize themselves living in the house and appreciate its true potential. Her guidance and insights helped them look past the initial layout concerns and see the property’s value from a different perspective.
April recounts a touching story about a client she helped relocate to Michigan. Unfortunately, the client went through a divorce shortly after the move, and they bonded over this difficult life event, becoming friends in the process. As life moved forward, the client got remarried, and April had the privilege of assisting in selling both her home and her new husband’s home. Throughout their real estate journey, April built a strong and rewarding relationship with her client. They continue to keep in touch, exemplifying one of the best aspects of real estate – the opportunity to form meaningful and lasting connections with clients.
The conversation wraps up with April sharing that her approach would start with talking to a lender to assess her financial standing and understand her options for buying a home. Working with a reputable lender is invaluable as they can inform her about available programs for down payments and give her an idea of affordability. This knowledge would enable her to develop a clear plan of action for the next steps. April learned from her personal experience when buying her first home in 2021. The lender provided her with a plan of action and guidance on what she needed to do to prepare for the purchase. Without this initial consultation, she wouldn’t have known how to get ready for homeownership. She emphasizes the importance of reaching out to both an agent and a lender, as agents can recommend reliable lenders and provide essential advice to ensure a smooth path towards owning a home.
Check out April Polihonki:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilpolihonki
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilpolihonki/
If you loved this episode subscribe so you never miss one! Want more The Closing Table content? Head over to our blog.