Why can't I find a competent realtor in Lawrence? (Topeka: real estate, loan) - Kansas (KS) - City-Data Forum

Jabs · 10-22-2009, 07:16 PM

I'm moving to Lawrence in 4 weeks. My fiance is there already. We have tried working with 2 different realtors. I realize that the market in Lawrence is tight and there isn't a great deal available in our price range, but the lack of interest in clients by both of these realtors we have tried to work with is ASTONISHING.

Can someone recommend a person who will:

1) provide us with property listings (because the guy we were dealing with would get them off Hometownlawrence.com, which is something I can do for free),

2) contact us frequently instead of just sitting back and doing nothing, and

3) think outside the box.

I realize that in my price range there's not a great deal of stuff in Lawrence, so I would like someone who has a knowledge outside the city boundaries as well. At this point, I don't mind commuting.

I've done about all I can at this distance and I'm worried that I'm going to be living in my car with my 2 dogs... I really would appreciate some referrals. Please give me names of any REAL go getters.

Dusty Rhodes · 10-23-2009, 07:45 AM

Why can't I find a competent realtor in Lawrence?
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Uhhh, Quantrell is still holding both of them hostage???

Versatile · 10-23-2009, 08:08 AM

Try an ELP from Dave Ramsey show.

Dave Ramsey Homepage - daveramsey.com

cp1969 · 10-23-2009, 01:51 PM

OK, gonna try to give you a link that so that you can do your own search as to what's available in Lawrence:

Reece & Nichols Real Estate, Mortgage, Closing Title Experts | Listing Search Form - Search for Real Estate Properties

I had to put in some search parameters to get it to show less than 100 properties but you can change any of those parameters in the search box to suit your needs.

gilbavel · 11-10-2009, 05:05 PM

Leslie Dunham is a good realtor, she knows the area well.

lifelongMOgal · 11-15-2009, 06:05 PM

Not jumping to conclusions but rather giving some info.:

For Realtors time = $$. If a potential client has not been through the loan-approval process or refuses to sign an exclusive "Buyer Agency Agreement" then many serious Realtors cannot allow these folks great blocks of time.

A perceived lack of interest of the Realtor on your part does not equate to a lack of competancy on the part of the Realtor; unless, you have a signed agency agreement. Communication is a two way street.

My suggestion is for you and your fiance to "interview" some Realtors before signing an agency agreement. Tell them the qualities you are seeking in your agent as well as the home for which you are searching.

If you really believe you have encountered "incompetance", and have an agency agreement with a Realtor who has failed to fulfill his/her fiduciary duty to you as clients, I suggest you submit a complaint to the Kansas Board of Realtors in Topeka.
Consumer Complaints - Kansas Real Estate License Kansas REALTOR Membership Kansas Real Estate Property - Kansas Association of REALTORS®

Good luck with your search and your future new home!

coopersmith · 11-16-2009, 06:36 AM

Its not you, Realtors for the most part are people who do not want to work, they had many years of sitting in an office having people sign a contract and making thousands for selling a home. Now it is harder and the men are being separated from the boys, and there are not many men, or women from the girls. The real estate boom has lasted so long that there is almost a generation of people who do not know how to old school work at selling. How to tell a seller, that here is the price if you want to sell in a month, and here is the price if you want to sell in a year or never. Some of the older ones do not like the internet, and the younger ones do not know how to hustle and pull a deal together. Most do not know the difference from an eight penny nail and a sixteen penny nail and what the two are used for. So they can only comment on how nice the carpet looks with your ensemble.

lifelongMOgal · 11-17-2009, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coopersmith

Its not you, Realtors for the most part are people who do not want to work, they had many years of sitting in an office having people sign a contract and making thousands for selling a home. Now it is harder and the men are being separated from the boys, and there are not many men, or women from the girls. The real estate boom has lasted so long that there is almost a generation of people who do not know how to old school work at selling. How to tell a seller, that here is the price if you want to sell in a month, and here is the price if you want to sell in a year or never. Some of the older ones do not like the internet, and the younger ones do not know how to hustle and pull a deal together. Most do not know the difference from an eight penny nail and a sixteen penny nail and what the two are used for. So they can only comment on how nice the carpet looks with your ensemble.

Talk about painting a wide swath with the blanket generalization brush!

Most Realtors are working on a commission-only basis as independant contractors. Those who want to earn $$ work very hard at their profession.

KsJayhawker · 12-22-2009, 04:36 AM

Two very good, hard-working real estate agents in Lawrence are Michelle Hack with McGrew Real Estate and Ann Hedrick with Stephens Real Estate. I have purchased homes from both and have been very pleased with their services.

briansgi · 12-24-2009, 10:56 AM

To the OP, I feel your pain, been there, suffered that! The issue is most of the realtors only want to do this job on a part time basis. Call them soccer moms if you will. We recently sold our house and ended up having to fire our first realtor due to giving us the wrong advise on disclosure rules, what a nightmare that ended up being. My daughter is a perfect example, she's a realtor in Dallas and doesn't put the time/effort into the work to be very good at it. She tries to balance family and work and guess what, the work portion is what suffers and that's why she gets very few listings and sells very few houses.

Previously when we were trying to buy a house our realtor was always at the lake, and was never around to show us homes on the weekends, which is when we were available to view homes. Good realtors are hard to find! Good luck.