Who treats the cardiologist’s heart or the surgeon’s sprained wrist? In residential real estate, the same question surfaces: Who does a broker trust when the sale involves their own front door, their own memories, their own nest egg?

That’s when “the broker’s broker” gets a call.

A Colleague in a Bind
A while back, a respected agent—let’s call her Lisa—rang me in frustration. She takes listings inside a celebrated River North high‑rise where I also transact regularly. Her challenge? She’d placed her own condominium on the market, and, despite her deep expertise, the home sat untouched. Buyers toured politely, praised the view, but no one produced an offer. Worse, every week her brand‑new sign felt more like a billboard for disappointment.

Lisa’s instinct told her something was off. She also knew she was “too close to the drapes,” as we say. It’s one thing to craft pricing strategy for a client; it’s entirely another to assign value to the place where you’ve toasted holidays and tucked yourself in at night.

Shifting the Lens
During our first meeting we barely discussed numbers. I simply walked her space with fresh eyes:

• Remove the personal lens. I asked Lisa to describe the apartment as if it were a buyer’s, not hers. Suddenly, she could see where sentimental furniture blocked a spectacular vista.
  
• Show, don’t store. We edited artwork, changed up rugs, and rearranged lighting to celebrate the unit’s glass‑curtain façade.
  
• Reset the narrative. Rather than “luxury condo,” we marketed the property as an aerie with bespoke finishes—positioning it above competing units by emphasizing scarcity.

Then I put Lisa where she rarely sits in the client’s chair. I mapped out my full cadence—professional photography, private‑broker previews, timed public debut, strategic pricing psychology, and a negotiation playbook that leverages demand rather than defends price.

Execution in High Gear
Within forty‑eight hours of launching fresh marketing, our showing schedule had a pulse. By day six we entertained two competitive offers; by day ten we accepted one—2 percent above the previous building record on a price‑per‑square‑foot basis. Lisa closed sixty days later with a grin I’d never seen: the grin of someone who finally experienced the service she delivers daily.

Lessons from the Other Side of the Table

• Objectivity is a luxury. Even seasoned pros need distance. A broker’s broker provides the unemotional stance we preach but can’t always practice on ourselves.
• Processes eclipse assumptions. Lisa hadn’t “overpriced”; she’d under‑leveraged storytelling and staging. Our disciplined framework filled the gap.
• Empathy is rocketing fuel. Living as a client—even briefly—reminded Lisa how vulnerable the selling side feels. She now builds those sensitivities into her own listings.
  
  

A Relationship Transformed
These days, Lisa and I swap market intel, celebrate each other’s wins, and candidly dissect losses. The sale didn’t just move a condo; it deepened professional kinship. It also reaffirmed a guiding truth of my Happily Ever Always™ philosophy: the best outcomes bloom from openness, sincerity, and respect—whether I’m advising a first‑time buyer or a broker with decades of accolades.

We never know who will need us next, or how quickly the roles might reverse. What I do know is this: when gravitas meets generosity, and expertise meets empathy, records break and relationships flourish. That is the hallmark of a true broker’s broker—and it’s why I wake up eager to answer the next unexpected call.