In real estate transactions, buyers and sellers bombard their agents with questions: What does this contract clause mean? Will a title issue delay closing? How does a tenant's lease affect the sale? Most agents feel pressure to answer every question on the spot, but Jerry Larkowski, Managing Broker at ESQ. Realty Group, LLC in Little Rock, Arkansas, believes that pressure causes more damage than a gap in knowledge ever could. Larkowski, a licensed attorney since 1991, says an honest "let me find out" earns more trust than a confident guess.
Larkowski's conviction comes from an unlikely source: a failed political campaign. In 2003, after election problems in Pulaski County, Arkansas, local officials asked him to join the Pulaski County Election Commission as a volunteer and soon serve as chair to restore public confidence. He became chair within his first two meetings, hired a new director, and implemented new processes for future elections. The experience taught him that public scrutiny demands honesty, not spin. In 2005, he resigned to run for the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2006. Four candidates entered the race, and more than $250,000 in combined donations made it one of the most expensive state house races in Arkansas at the time. From January to mid-May 2006, Larkowski knocked on more than 3,000 doors. He lost.
But the campaign trail gave him a clearer picture of the people behind the votes. He says the overwhelming majority were "good-hearted, hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding people" who simply want their city, state, and country to work. He also noticed that homeowners paid especially close attention to local policy. "People that own their homes take a little bit more interest, I think, in things because they've got skin in the game," he says.
That lesson translates directly to real estate. During the campaign, Larkowski watched people respond to questions they couldn't answer by talking in circles. He took a different approach, one he still uses with clients. "I know a lot, but I don't know the answer to that question, but I'm going to go find out, and I'm going to get back to you," he says. "And then follow up and do it." He says clients respond better to that than to a polished guess, in part because of who is saying it. After 35 years as a licensed attorney, people expect him to know everything. When he admits he doesn't, the reaction is often surprise. "They think, wow, he doesn't know it. Most people like him would just make up an answer," he says. "I think it commands respect. And when you start losing respect with people that you are trying to sell something, you might as well just give up."
The practical takeaway for buyers and sellers is simple. A long, vague answer that leans on "I think" is a warning sign, especially on questions involving title, contracts, deadlines, or legal obligations. A guess on any of those can cost real money. A better answer sounds specific even when it is incomplete: the agent says what they know, names what they need to confirm, tells you who they will ask—whether that is an attorney, a title company, or a lender—and gives you a time frame. Then they call you back. Larkowski's background in law, public service, and real estate is outlined on his About Me page. His advice for evaluating any agent is the same one he learned on those doorsteps: nobody expects you to know everything, but they do expect you to be honest about it. A confident guess can cost a client thousands. An honest "let me find out" costs them a day.
ESQ. Realty Group, LLC is a full-service real estate brokerage serving the Little Rock and Hot Springs markets in Central Arkansas. Learn more at esqbrokers.com.
