Think your job is crazy? From naked sellers to illegal pets, the real estate industry is a lot weirder and wilder than you probably ever imagined. The three of us at NestBend have been doing this for quite a long time.
When you've been doing this job for a while, you can't help but have funny stories to tell. Every day is an adventure. With everything going on in the world — and in the real estate market — things can feel heavy. That's why we thought it might be a good time to lighten the mood with a few funny stories from our world of real estate.
The case of the vanishing buyer
We once represented a seller when the seemingly well-qualified buyer vanished — off to Malaysia, never to be found again. He was engaged to his broker's friend, and the earnest money had been deposited. But according to his fiancee, rumor has it he might still be in a Malaysian prison. Fortunately, our seller found a fantastic buyer the second time around — one who managed to stay both out of prison and in the country through escrow!
Meet "Naked Ned"
Showing homes is never boring — you never know what you're going to walk into. We've seen plenty of odd things, from underwear scattered on the floor to random doors with locks, but nothing tops the time we met "Naked Ned."
We arrived at a house with eager buyers, having been told the seller would let us in. After knocking a few times and ringing the doorbell, we were greeted by a man standing in front of a large glass window, completely naked. "Ned" quickly covered his face in shock before realizing there was something else he needed to cover! Grabbing a towel, he let us in.
Thankfully, this was the last house on the list. Afterward, we grabbed coffee and talked through the pros and cons of the homes we'd seen. But, of course, the conversation kept circling back to Naked Ned — we couldn't stop laughing!
The accidental skylight
Inspection day is always an adventure, and this one was no exception. Our client was purchasing an older, historic property on Bend's west side, so we were prepared for the inspection report to reveal some quirks. What we didn't expect happened just 15 minutes in.
On a chilly winter morning, we were standing in the kitchen when we started hearing creaks and strange noises from above. Suddenly, we went from standing on the first floor with a ceiling overhead to staring up at the winter sky! A section of the roof and second story had collapsed right around us, creating an instant skylight—letting in plenty of natural light, though not quite what we had in mind. Despite the unexpected "renovation," our client decided to move forward with the purchase, thrilled that some of the work had already started!
The world of real estate is anything but predictable. At NestBend, we've learned to roll with the punches and laugh along the way — after all, these wild stories make our jobs interesting.
