Tornados! Fire! Ice Storms! These Real-Estate Agents Risk Life and Limb for the Sale
Nothing stays these brokers from the swift completion of their appointed showings
3 min
What is the worst weather you have ever had to contend with while showing a home?
Justin Fox, broker/owner, Re/Max Professionals, Cottage Grove, Minn.
In the summer of 2011, I was driving some buyers—a mother from out of town with her two young daughters, each under 6—to look at homes. The first two showings were uneventful, but as we headed to the third, we encountered a giant wall cloud on the road. I see wall clouds all the time, but for those not familiar with them, it’s a giant tower of clouds, and it’s very dark and ominous-looking, so it can be scary. My buyer, who claimed to have been some sort of weather watcher, started freaking out, saying things like, “That’s a wall cloud! It’s dangerous! We’re going to have a tornado!” That in turn caused the daughters to start screaming and crying hysterically. They were kicking so much in the back that they caused the threading of my leather seat to come loose. I did my best to calm them down, but then the torrential rain and thunder started, and that led to more screaming from the kids. Thank God we made it to the next house within 10 minutes. I pulled my car into the garage to avoid the hail, and we sheltered in the basement for 25 minutes until it lightened up outside. Then we went on with our showings like nothing ever happened.
Victoria Rong Kennedy, associate broker, the Corcoran Group, New York, N.Y.
I wouldn’t say this was the worst weather, but it was definitely the weirdest. On June 7, 2023, I had three private showings lined up at 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to show my listing on the Upper East Side, which was a duplex penthouse with three terraces listed for $3.3 million. That morning, Canadian wildfire smoke was blowing through the sky of Manhattan. They were telling everyone on TV and radio to stay home all day, and I kept watching my emails and texts, hoping that all three groups of buyers would cancel their showings, but no one did. By 1:30 p.m., the sky was really dark. There was almost no visibility, but, still, there were no cancellations. At 2 p.m., I searched for an old Covid mask, put it on and walked out like a hero to go on the combat field. I could barely see anything a half block away, but I walked 11 blocks and two avenues and managed to get to the building. Well, all three groups of buyers and their brokers showed up on time. We all chatted about how strange the weather was. We put our masks back on when we stood on the living room terrace, which overlooks Billionaires’ Row, but we had no visibility. The sky was red and black, and all we could see was a small circle of light in the sky. It looked like the moon behind heavy clouds. It was like a scene from a movie.
Jeffrey Decatur, broker associate, Re/Max Capital, Latham, N.Y.
Living in upstate New York, I have experienced all kinds of bad weather—snow so deep it was up to my thighs and rain so hard that I wished my shower had that much pressure. However, the worst took place in April 2017, when I was showing a home in Waterford, N.Y., a suburb of Albany. It was during a late-season blizzard that came on fast, and there had to be about 2 feet of snow. The home had a normal-size driveway, but it was a foreclosure and was not shoveled. So, my client and I trekked up the crunchy, snowy driveway and eventually got into the house. As we were walking around, complaining about the Arctic blast and blizzard, I heard the sound of babbling water. I thought it was a fountain, so my buyer and I continued to walk around the house. As we moved toward the garage and family room, the babbling got louder, and as we headed for the basement, we saw that the pipes had frozen. The basement ceiling had fallen, and water was pouring in from the ceiling and the walls. The floor had about 3 inches of water and ice. I called the listing agent and left a message, but I couldn’t just leave the water running, so I waded through the freezing cold water in the basement and turned the water off. I didn’t really think that through, because I was drenched and then had to make my way back through the house and out into the blizzard again. When I opened the front door, I nearly froze immediately, and by the time I got to the end of the porch, I was crunchy and icy. When I got to my car, parked at the end of the driveway, my hair was frozen to my face, and I could barely bend my legs or feel my hands. I was walking like the Tin Man. It took me several hours to thaw out.
——Edited from interviews
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From elevated skincare to handcrafted home pieces, this year’s most thoughtful gifts go beyond the expected.
A haven for hedge-fund titans and Hollywood grandees, Greenwich is one of the world’s most expensive residential enclaves, where eye-watering prices meet unapologetic grandeur.
From elevated skincare to handcrafted home pieces, this year’s most thoughtful gifts go beyond the expected.
3 min
Mother’s Day has quietly evolved. It’s no longer about last-minute flowers or safe department store buys. Instead, there’s a noticeable shift towards gifts that feel considered, personal and, increasingly, lasting.
This year’s edit leans into that idea, bringing together pieces that balance design, purpose and a sense of story.
At the more elevated end of beauty, Australian-founded skincare label Bon Elliot offers a future-facing approach grounded in dermatology.
Its Hydrating Performance Serum, priced at $220, is designed to support the skin’s natural balance, working across the microbiome, barrier and repair response for a more refined, luminous finish.
It’s the kind of gift that feels indulgent, but also quietly practical.
For something less expected, there’s a playful turn in the form of Tinned Candle’s handcrafted pieces.
Inspired by tinned fish, the Atlanta-based studio has created candles that are as much design objects as they are functional.
Importantly, they smell nothing like sardines, leaning instead into ocean breeze or champagne notes, depending on the piece . It’s a small, clever way to bring personality into a space.
There’s also a growing appetite for gifts that give something back.
Coral adoption programs offer a more meaningful alternative, allowing you to adopt a coral in your mother’s name while supporting fragile marine ecosystems under threat from climate change.
It’s less about the object and more about the gesture, which, in many ways, feels more aligned with the moment.
Homewares continue to hold their place, particularly when craftsmanship is at the centre.
Tanora’s collection, handcrafted in Madagascar, blends traditional techniques with a modern coastal aesthetic, spanning everything from woven totes to placemats and cushions.
These are pieces that don’t just decorate a home, they add texture and narrative to it.
For something more personal, Australian lingerie label Cloud Blvd offers soft, wearable luxury in the form of robes and camisoles.
With options designed for comfort as much as elegance, they strike that rare balance between everyday use and quiet indulgence.
And for the mother who loves to host, Mesa Collections delivers a playful yet polished take on the table.
Think colourful linens, sculptural silverware and small details that turn a simple meal into something more considered.
What ties all of this together is a shift in mindset.
The best gifts this Mother’s Day aren’t necessarily the most expensive or the most obvious. They’re the ones that show thought, whether that’s through design, craftsmanship or meaning.
Which, if you think about it, is exactly the point.
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