In real estate transactions, buyers and sellers bombard their agents with dozens of 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. A licensed attorney since 1991, Larkowski learned this lesson not in a courtroom but on the campaign trail.
In 2005, Larkowski resigned from the Pulaski County Election Commission 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, he walked the district after work and on weekends, knocking on more than 3,000 doors. He lost. Yet he says the experience was worth it, offering a clearer picture of the people behind the votes: "good-hearted, hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding people" who simply want their government to work. He also noticed that homeowners paid especially close attention to local policy because they have "skin in the game."
What he gained most was a communication strategy that he still uses in real estate. On the campaign trail, Larkowski watched people respond to questions they couldn't answer by talking in circles. He took a different approach: "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 believes clients respond better to that than to a polished guess, partly 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."
For buyers and sellers, the practical takeaway is clear. 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 incomplete: the agent says what they know, names what they need to confirm, tells you who they will ask—whether 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. Managing Broker Jerry Larkowski is a dual-licensed real estate broker and attorney with a background in trial law. Learn more at esqbrokers.com.
