Tips for Dealing with Difficult People

[Norwin Lanot]

I understand that the world of real estate is very much a people business, so I wanted to dive deeper into what kind of experiences people have had and what lessons they've learned, as opposed to the typical "get referrals" and "screen tenants" advice that typically gets spouted out.

So, my question is more on the buying, selling, and negotiating side of things, and less about the tenants (since there are already many opinions about that out there).

In regards to the people that you are generally going to be dealing with within your real estate investing circle, such as agents, lenders, contractors, handymen, managers, etc., what are some tips or advice do you guys have for working with so called "difficult" people? What are some signs to look out for to avoid such "difficult" people to begin with? And lastly, if people you already work with become "difficult," how can break off that relationship?

Experienced investors generally have much praise for the real estate community, but I'm sure there are some horror stories out there for investors dealing with "difficult" people. I'd love to hear them!