“The more you document, the fewer surprises you face.”

- Dan Rochon

Episode Summary

When you’re helping a client transition into a home after a lease-back ends, your role is simple: protect them through clarity, documentation, and a systematic approach.

Over the years working with buyers and sellers, I’ve learned that the cleanest transactions come from one thing—preparation. And when it comes to an expiring lease-back, preparation is everything.

Let me walk you through how I think about it when a buyer is set to receive their home after the seller has stayed for an additional month.

Start With What You Can See — and What You Can Prove

If you’ve taken walkthrough photos at closing, you’re already ahead. Photos are gold. They freeze the condition of the home in a moment in time, and they remove the guesswork when emotions get involved.

Next time, though, think of it like property management: systems win.
Notes plus photos beat photos alone every time.

A simple checklist does the job. Dishwasher. Doors. Floors. Appliances. Walls. Windows. General condition.
But don’t stop with generic boxes. Add your own observations. Add details. Add the things you’ll never remember later once you’re juggling five clients at once.

Your future self will thank you.

Room-to-Room, Quiet and Methodical

When you show up for the turnover, your only goal is this:

Make sure the property is in the same condition as when your buyer bought it.

Not better.
Not worse.
Just the same.

Walk it room by room.

If you notice small nuances—a scuff, a missing lightbulb, a scratch that wasn’t there—document it. Mention it.
But don’t escalate it unless it truly matters to your client.

They bought the home as is, so your job is simply to confirm “as is” didn’t slide into “something else.”

Why This Matters More as You Grow

Right now, it might feel manageable because you’re helping one family at a time. But as your business expands—and it will—the details get harder to keep straight.

This is where systems protect your reputation.

You’ll never remember everything.
But your notes will.
Your photos will.
Your documentation will.

That’s how you stay consistent, calm, confident, and in control.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Every walkthrough.
Every lease-back.
Every transition.

Treat it like you're managing a portfolio—not just a property.
That mindset alone will raise your professionalism and your clients’ trust faster than anything else.

Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of the No Broke Months community. Until the next time, be grateful, make good choices, help someone have their best day ever—and the listings will follow you.

👉 Ready to take your skills even further?

If you want the exact frameworks I use to lead conversations, build trust, and close confidently, grab my book Teach to Sell.

It’s the step-by-step guide to communicating with clarity, influence, and purpose.

Get your copy here

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