--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consider this true story, related by John…" description: "\"“Consider this true story, related by John Donohue, a law professor who in 2001 was teaching at Stanford University: \"I was just about to buy a house o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/anonymous-1_buying_consider-this-true-story-related-by-john_3032043.jpg" --- # Consider this true story, related by John Donohue, a law… ![“Consider this true story, related by John Donohue, a law professor who in 2001 was teaching at Stanford University: "I was just about to buy a house on the Stanford campus," he recalls, "and the seller's agent kept telling me what a good deal I was getting because the market was about to zoom. As…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/anonymous-1_buying_consider-this-true-story-related-by-john_3032043.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/anonymous-1_buying_consider-this-true-story-related-by-john_3032043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/anonymous-1_buying_consider-this-true-story-related-by-john_3032043.jpg) > ““Consider this true story, related by John Donohue, a law professor who in 2001 was teaching at Stanford University: "I was just about to buy a house on the Stanford campus," he recalls, "and the seller's agent kept telling me what a good deal I was getting because the market was about to zoom. As soon as I signed the purchase contract, he asked me if I would need an agent to sell my previous Stanford house. I told him that I would probably try to sell without an agent, and he replied, 'John, that might work under normal conditions, but with the market tanking now, you really need the help of a broker.'" Within five minutes, a zooming market had tanked. Such are the marvels that can be conjured by an agent in search of the next deal.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A real‑estate agent’s optimism turned a booming market into a bust, illustrating how agents can shape market perceptions. **In simple terms:** Agents can influence market expectations, sometimes leading to rapid reversals. Key Takeaway Beware of over‑optimistic market advice. Themes economics psychology market dynamics Mood cautious pragmatic Type practical educational When to use this quote - buying a home - investing - career planning - financial advice Key Concepts information asymmetry behavioral finance Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify market claims? - What safeguards protect against sudden market shifts? A Different Perspective Reliance on single agents can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agent Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agent-sell-3123116/) [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Housing market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing-market/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [John Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-donohue-226650/) [Market Tanking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market-tanking-4957296/) [Need Agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-agent-3317049/) [Negotiation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negotiation/) [Real estate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-estate/) [Real-estate-agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-estate-agent-154827/) [Sell Agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell-agent-2357996/) [Seller Agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seller-agent-4957295/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Stanford university](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanford-university/) [True story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-story/) ## Related quotes > [A real estate agent can sell your home for you, but you will give up 6% of your home's value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-estate-agent-can-sell-your-home-for-you-but-you-will-give-up-6/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This is terrific. What a gorgeous kitchen. You’ve decorated it so beautifully. Now you’re going to have to clear all the counters. Vases. Books.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-browning/this-is-terrific-what-a-gorgeous-kitchen-you-ve-decorated-it-so/) [Dominique Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-browning/) > [I have SO many books I didn't sell. Some my agent rejected outright, others made it all the way to my editor to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-have-so-many-books-i-didn-t-sell-some-my-agent-rejected-outright/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Anbody can make an easy deal, but only a true agent can sell a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-paul-lazar/anbody-can-make-an-easy-deal-but-only-a-true-agent-can-sell-a-dog/) [Irving Paul Lazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-paul-lazar/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Buying quotes > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I'm being called in by all the great casting directors. It's no longer based on a headshot. 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We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. 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Attention. It's all designed for capturing, tracking, quantifying, manipulating, holding, buying, selling and controlling attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/what-is-the-focus-of-the-new-image-infrastructure-attention-it-s-all/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [It’s always going to be easy to live like others or other’s life, because creating or innovating something of own is always difficult in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/it-s-always-going-to-be-easy-to-live-like-others-or-other-s-life/) [Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/) > [The truth is, if I was maybe better or funnier or prettier, wouldn't I have starred in a movie? I can see it objectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/the-truth-is-if-i-was-maybe-better-or-funnier-or-prettier-wouldn-t-i/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) [Browse all 1,598 Buying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Consider this true story, related by John Donohue, a law professor who in 2001 was teaching at Stanford University: \"I was just about to buy a house on the Stanford campus,\" he recalls, \"and the seller's agent kept telling me what a good deal I was getting because the market was about to zoom. As soon as I signed the purchase contract, he asked me if I would need an agent to sell my previous Stanford house. 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