A SMILE THAT SPARKED OUTRAGE

On August 23, 2010, the Manila hostage crisis unfolded in full view of the world.

A dismissed police officer, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked a tourist bus in Manila. The standoff lasted roughly 10 hours. He released several hostages during the ordeal, but the situation deteriorated after his brother was detained by authorities. By the end, 8 hostages were killed.

It was a tragedy and a defining moment that damaged the country’s global image.

But here’s the part that matters for this discussion.

In the aftermath, Benigno Aquino III faced the media. During one of his public appearances, he was seen with what many interpreted as a smile or awkward grin. That single moment, which was captured and replayed globally, triggered outrage, particularly in Hong Kong, where it was viewed as insensitive and lacking empathy.

Whether intentional or not didn’t matter. Perception did.

Now, bring this into real estate.

To brokers: be careful what you post.

Imagine you’re in the middle of a transaction. The other side is carrying most of the load such as coordinating, following up, pushing things forward, while you’re barely responding to messages. At times, you simply screenshot your client’s messages and forward them to your co-broker. Efficiency right? In some cases, your client even starts reaching out directly to the other broker just to get things done.

Then you post a story: golf, wine, a great dinner, a “life is good” moment.

To the people dealing you deal with, it feels like disrespect. Like you’re enjoying yourself while they’re cleaning up your side of the deal.

In high-stakes situations, perception can outweigh intent. We’ve seen this play out at a national level… and it applies just as much in small, everyday transactions.