In real estate transactions, buyers and sellers ask their agents dozens of questions—about contract clauses, title issues, and lease terms. Most agents feel pressure to answer every one on the spot. But Jerry Larkowski, Managing Broker at ESQ. Realty Group, LLC in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a licensed attorney since 1991, believes that pressure causes more damage than a gap in knowledge ever could.
Larkowski’s conviction comes from an unlikely source: a failed political campaign. In 2003, after election problems in Pulaski County, he was appointed to the county election commission and became chair within his first two meetings. The commission hired a new director and implemented new processes. In 2005, he resigned 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 knocked on more than 3,000 doors. He lost.
“I told everybody in the week after that, I’ve lost cases in the courtroom that I’m still more mad about than this,” he says. “It was worth losing, I guess, is probably the best way to put it.” What he gained was a clearer picture of the people behind the votes. He says the overwhelming majority were “good-hearted, hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding people” who simply want their city, state, and country to work. He also noticed that homeowners paid especially close attention to local policy. “People that own their homes take a little bit more interest, I think, in things because they’ve got skin in the game,” he says.
On the campaign trail, Larkowski watched plenty of people respond to a question they could not answer by talking in circles. He took a different approach, and he still uses it in real estate. “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 says clients respond better to that than to a polished guess, in part 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 simple. 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 it is incomplete. The agent says what they know, names what they need to confirm, tells you who they will ask—whether that is 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. In an industry where trust is currency, that honesty may be the most valuable asset an agent can offer.
