Remember when we were kids and ‘white lies’ were kind of okay, but flat-out lying was a big no-no? It was tricky to figure out the difference back then, but as we grew up, it started making more sense.

Like, if your partner asks if you’re cool with having their parents over for dinner and you say, “Yeah, sure,” even if you’re not super excited, that’s a ‘white lie.’ Or if a little kid dresses up as a monster for Halloween and asks if they look scary, and you say “Totally!” even if they look more cute than scary, that’s another ‘white lie.’

These ‘white lies’ are all about making someone feel good without causing any real harm. But if you tell a ‘white lie’ to avoid hurting someone’s feelings and it actually ends up hurting them, then it’s crossed the line into just plain lying.

So, how does this relate to real estate?

Well, sometimes in real estate, some agents might tell homeowners what they want to hear about their home’s value instead of the real deal. They aren’t trying to be mean or anything; they just don’t want to break the bad news about the actual market value. But let’s be real, sugarcoating doesn’t help anyone in the long run.

Good agents deliver the good news. Great agents can handle delivering the tough stuff.

In today’s real estate market, you need an agent who’s going to give it to you straight, even if it’s not what you want to hear. You want someone who cares more about getting your house sold than tiptoeing around your feelings.

So, when you’re picking out an agent, make sure they’re honest with you. Don’t go for the one who’s just telling you what you want to hear. Go for the one who tells you what you need to know. Trust their honesty and give them the credit they deserve.