Navigating the Competition: Securing the Deal Against All Odds

It was August 2017. By then, I had been working in real estate for about a year and a half. The market was insane—rental prices were through the roof, and there were way more clients than properties. For every apartment, you had 10 people lined up, ready to take it. The competition was fierce, and the supply was low.

A new listing had just come in—a small, one-bedroom apartment in Sliema for €900/month, available immediately. This was a unicorn at the time; anything remotely decent was priced much higher. And I had the perfect client for it. He was a single guy working in iGaming—no pets, no smoking, an introvert. Basically, every property owner’s dream tenant.

I quickly called the owner to book the viewing, and he told me to come by at 6 PM. I picked up my client from his office at 5:45, and we made our way to the apartment, feeling confident.

But when we arrived, my heart sank.

There was a line of people, agents with their clients, all waiting to see the property. The owner had booked everyone at the same time! It was chaos. The apartment, a one-bedroom in the heart of Sliema, priced like a steal, had attracted every agent in town. The owner announced that everyone would get a chance to see the property, and then he’d make his decision.

Everyone was ready to fight for it.

The owner began letting agents in two by two with their clients. After the first four went in, I saw an opportunity. As the next two agents went up with their clients, I discreetly motioned for my client, and we snuck in with them.

While my client looked around the property, I did something none of the other agents were doing—I went straight to the owner. Every other agent was hovering over their clients, showing them the place, but nobody thought to speak directly to the man making the decision.

I walked over and said quietly, “Look around. You see couples here, and even an agent with two guys looking to share a one-bedroom. But my client? He’s a single guy, no pets, doesn’t smoke, and he’s got a stable, great-paying job in iGaming. He’s exactly the type of tenant you’re looking for.”

The owner paused, looked around, and then whispered, “You’re right. If he likes it, he can take it.”

Bingo.

I turned to my client, speaking softly, “I convinced the owner to give it to you. If you want it, it’s yours.”

He looked around the apartment, realizing the high demand and, with a glint of satisfaction, said, “Okay, I’ll take it.”

I gave the owner a small nod, and with a wink, he addressed the crowd of agents and clients waiting outside. “Sorry, everyone, but I’ve found my tenant. Thank you for your interest.”

The look on the agents’ faces was priceless! Some of them were from my own company, others from competitors. When I posted in our group chat that I had closed the deal, it spread like wildfire. The CEO of the company even gave me a personal shout-out for how I pulled it off.

That day, I learned a valuable lesson: In life, act as if you are already successful. Confidence and presence can turn the odds in your favor. Even when things seem impossible, give 100%—because at any moment, the tide can turn.

Stay tuned for next week’s story, where I’ll share my first biggest deal closed. It comes with a very funny story you won’t want to miss!