Over the weekend I heard from a colleague who added real value that can never be replaced by A/I. Lindsay Hymson of Compass Philadelphia and New York had this spectacular story. In the dining room of a home she had previewed, there was a painting leaning up against the wall that caught her attention.  It was a portrait and something about the subject's face spoke to her.  It was dated 1970 but looked very reminiscent of Kehinde Wiley's work. She told the sellers how cool she thought the painting was and asked who painted it and they said:  "Oh, it's just a painting through a family member."

When she revisited two days later with her client she took a clear photo of the painting and signature because she couldn't shake her gut feeling. Turns out it was a very famous Philly native painter.  In total shock, she called the homeowner and told her she and her husband have to go back to the house with bubble wrap immediately and take the painting to a temp controlled space. Their aunt passed away with no children or husband and when they cleaned out the apartment, they decided to keep that painting. For 10 years, it sat behind a china cabinet in the dining room of that family home. They were able to prove its provenance by a museum exhibit tag from 1975 that was on the back. Long story long, Lindsay connected them with the NYC gallery of a good client and friend who is a well known painter and this past week it sold privately for $3.6 Million!

This surprise lottery ticket could not have been cashed in by nicer people and Lindsay is over the moon happy for them! Another reason to retain the services of smart, connected, ethical agents who do much more than merely facilitate a transaction.