Family Drama Is Just Part of The Business

Q - Has a listing ever landed you in the middle of a family feud?

JENNIFER DAVIS

broker, Maison Real Estate, Charleston, S.C.

The client had inherited this house in Charleston, a very significant house. I was fairly new to the business, and he was interviewing a couple of brokers. He said, "I'd like to give you the listing, but there's one thing: Could you pick up a painting that belongs to me, that's at another house down the street?" I said I wouldn't mind at all. So a day later, I went over to another very big Charleston house and knocked on the door. A woman answered and showed me into the front hall. I introduced myself, and we talked about her house, which was lovely. Then I said, "I'm going to list the house across the street, and I understand there's a painting here that belongs to that house. I am here to pick it up, if you don't mind."

I didn't know she was my client's ex-sister-in-law, divorced from his brother. I thought she was just holding onto the painting for him. Well, that wasn't the case at all. She liked having that painting. I guess the brother didn't want to get involved in getting it back. It was something lawyers had probably discussed at some point.