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This pertains to the behavior of a realtor but has nothing to do with RE per se. If it's the wrong forum, please move it.
I VM'd and emailed a listing agent Saturday letting him know among other info that I am a buyer, not a realtor. No response Saturday. None Sunday. None Monday. I called the office back Monday late morning and got the agent's cell phone. Left a VM at noon.
No response Monday. None Tuesday by noon. Called the office back and asked if he was in. For some reason it made a difference what my name was, or the receptionist wouldn't have asked before she checked with him, right? Right. But at least he took the call.
His excuse for not returning the call was that he had an assistant return the call. I told him she hadn't left a message, and then he said he'd "stood right there" while she dialed. He had no explanation for the fact there were no messages and took off on the typical riff about "it's been sooooooo busy here...." (then you shouldn't have taken a listing you couldn't service).
I didn't want to stir the pot as I've had too hard a time, too many times, with realtors who get bugs up their seams because I won't use a buyer's agent, but it occurred to me later that his story makes no sense. And as Judge Judy says, when it doesn't make sense, it isn't true.
Who stands there and watches someone dial, remain silent, and hang up...and then doesn't ask, "Why didn't you leave a message? Did you even get through?" but just walks away without comment?
I thought money was tight. I thought everyone was "struggling". Why do "professionals" not return calls? Why do they accept accounts they don't want to service? Why do they accept listings 3 days before they're "going out of town"? If I learned anyone representing me was blowing buyers off because of laziness or reluctance to deal with someone other than one of their own kind, I'd fire him on the spot.
Oh well, not to fret. Being as I'm only a scummy buyer and not a realtor, and therefore free to contact the seller directly, that's exactly what I did...and let her know I was very sorry to bother her, but I was very interested in her property and her agent wouldn't return my email or calls. I'm so annoyed that he piled one lie on top of another! Thoughts?
Get a buyers agent, it makes life much less stressful and know that the owner more than likely cannot sell directly to you because of a clause that is probably in the contract she signed with her selling agent. The time limits vary in regards to a seller being able to sell the home on their own after it has been listed with a Real Estate Agency/Agent.
The bottom line here is that a buyer's agent lets him know that you are legit.
Many "lookie loos" call listing agents wanting info about a home when they really are just shopping and not necessarily ready to buy. So they may end up spending a lot of time on someone who, frankly, does not pay off in the end.
To speak to your general point, I have had three different repairmen OUT TO MY HOUSE for quotes on projects, including one $800 plumbing project, and they have not called me back after the initial visit. At one plumbing company, when I called the office to check on my quote, the receptionist could not find me "in the system," so she said she would check with someone and call me back.
You guessed it ... she never called me back.
We live in a high-growth area where tradesmen have 5-6 weeks of work backed up. They really don't have to do my job, apparently.
So the truth is you may never know why he didn't call you back, but you do know how you can make sure it doesn't happen again.
Get a buyers agent, it makes life much less stressful and know that the owner more than likely cannot sell directly to you because of a clause that is probably in the contract she signed with her selling agent. The time limits vary in regards to a seller being able to sell the home on their own after it has been listed with a Real Estate Agency/Agent.
What exactly do you think you have accomplished?
Nothing doing with the buyer's agent. I won't go into details but have had very bad experiences with them disclosing things they never should have mentioned, both to me and about me; handing me "comps" that expired and didn't sell and expecting me to be dumb enough not to see the obvious lie; telling me I could build permanent structures across utility easements and expecting me to be dumb enough not to see the obvious lie; little things like that.
What exactly I think I've accomplished is letting the seller know her realtor isn't responding to buyers, and lighting a fire under her realtor. I doubt he put in writing that he will only return the calls he feels like returning. I thought they had a code of ethics. At least they're always talking about having a code of ethics. Is it ethical to tell your client you're "gonna work hard for you!" and not return an email or call?
What else I think I've accomplished is making the seller aware that I'm interested so that there's a chance I get to see the house and make an offer before someone else does.
I've called other sellers who were furious to learn that their agents weren't returning calls...while their houses sat unsold for literally months. I get that you disapprove, but experience puts you in the minority.
Last edited by Morrigan20; 11-10-2015 at 07:29 PM..
The bottom line here is that a buyer's agent lets him know that you are legit.
Many "lookie loos" call listing agents wanting info about a home when they really are just shopping and not necessarily ready to buy. So they may end up spending a lot of time on someone who, frankly, does not pay off in the end.
To speak to your general point, I have had three different repairmen OUT TO MY HOUSE for quotes on projects, including one $800 plumbing project, and they have not called me back after the initial visit. At one plumbing company, when I called the office to check on my quote, the receptionist could not find me "in the system," so she said she would check with someone and call me back.
You guessed it ... she never called me back.
We live in a high-growth area where tradesmen have 5-6 weeks of work backed up. They really don't have to do my job, apparently.
So the truth is you may never know why he didn't call you back, but you do know how you can make sure it doesn't happen again.
I get that, and while it's a valid point, you'd think there would be a junior associate or someone who could return these calls and sift out the looky-loos instead of just blowing people off. Of course that means that a buyer's agent is at risk of wasting lots of time - at least where I've lived, the commission is paid at closing. There is no upfront fee to buyer or seller. Besides, I don't know any realtors in that area and I'm not trusting someone I find on the e-Yellow Pages with hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially when that person bears no liability for anything they say or do.
Oh well. I've seen your good advice in other posts and this one is no exception. Thanks!
Last edited by Morrigan20; 11-10-2015 at 07:33 PM..
We all want to earn the largest reward for the least amount of effort, that's human nature. For whatever reason though, real estate agents seem to fall into a special category. The vast majority of them ignore that their responsibility is to market to and pursue buyers. They place a property on the MLS and wait for another agent's phone call. And as you've already figured out, most are trying to maximize their commission, not work in their client's best interest, and this includes so-called "buyer's agents". One day, people are finally gonna wake up to this whole racket and they're all gonna be extinct.
I think you did the right thing calling the seller. Let them know how little they're getting for that not-so-little chunk of change.
The first time we bought a house we called an agent directly and she flat out told us she won't work with buyers without an agent....then offered to be ours. We got a different one who was useless and messed up the final paperwork so it's took extra days to get the house, plus we lost some money. When it came time to give me the keys, no more coffee and chatting. He actually threw them at me from about 10 feet and got back in his car and drove off.
Our second time buying a house...well I had a great agent. It's was out of state so we made her work pretty hard for her money. And over the months we got to be like friends. I actually, honestly believed she was my friend. We talked about family, and personal stuff...lots of personal stuff. Hugged hello and goodbye. I really thought we were friends. After we bought our house, I almost never hear from her. Once in a while a text message saying she hopes we love our house, etc. I am such an idiot.
The upside was she did get us a great house which we adore and helped me greatly through the process. And she did work hard for her (huge) commission.
In the process I had filled out an online form and an agent called me and schmoozed me. But I decided not to go with him and sent him a nice note saying thanks so much but I was going to go with a friends reccomendation (the one I thought became my friend). Not even a word from him for 5 months. No return email or anything. Then a schmoozey call to ask me if I was still house hunting. I let him know I was already moved in
The first time we bought a house we called an agent directly and she flat out told us she won't work with buyers without an agent....then offered to be ours. We got a different one who was useless and messed up the final paperwork so it's took extra days to get the house, plus we lost some money. When it came time to give me the keys, no more coffee and chatting. He actually threw them at me from about 10 feet and got back in his car and drove off.
Our second time buying a house...well I had a great agent. It's was out of state so we made her work pretty hard for her money. And over the months we got to be like friends. I actually, honestly believed she was my friend. We talked about family, and personal stuff...lots of personal stuff. Hugged hello and goodbye. I really thought we were friends. After we bought our house, I almost never hear from her. Once in a while a text message saying she hopes we love our house, etc. I am such an idiot.
The upside was she did get us a great house which we adore and helped me greatly through the process. And she did work hard for her (huge) commission.
In the process I had filled out an online form and an agent called me and schmoozed me. But I decided not to go with him and sent him a nice note saying thanks so much but I was going to go with a friends reccomendation (the one I thought became my friend). Not even a word from him for 5 months. No return email or anything. Then a schmoozey call to ask me if I was still house hunting. I let him know I was already moved in
Location: Sodo Sopa at The Villas above Kenny' s House.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird
The first time we bought a house we called an agent directly and she flat out told us she won't work with buyers without an agent....then offered to be ours. We got a different one who was useless and messed up the final paperwork so it's took extra days to get the house, plus we lost some money. When it came time to give me the keys, no more coffee and chatting. He actually threw them at me from about 10 feet and got back in his car and drove off.
Our second time buying a house...well I had a great agent. It's was out of state so we made her work pretty hard for her money. And over the months we got to be like friends. I actually, honestly believed she was my friend. We talked about family, and personal stuff...lots of personal stuff. Hugged hello and goodbye. I really thought we were friends. After we bought our house, I almost never hear from her. Once in a while a text message saying she hopes we love our house, etc. I am such an idiot.
The upside was she did get us a great house which we adore and helped me greatly through the process. And she did work hard for her (huge) commission.
In the process I had filled out an online form and an agent called me and schmoozed me. But I decided not to go with him and sent him a nice note saying thanks so much but I was going to go with a friends reccomendation (the one I thought became my friend). Not even a word from him for 5 months. No return email or anything. Then a schmoozey call to ask me if I was still house hunting. I let him know I was already moved in
So yeah...I just don't know about re agents
Honestly I think your expecting too much from your agent. The job is to sale or acquire a house. The second one sounds like she was doing whatever she felt that you needed to complete the process. It's not necessarily being fake as much as it's reading the needs of your client. It sounds like the transaction yielded good results so I'm not sure why you have a problem. You hired her to find You a house,not to fulfill the role of a lifetime friend.
I clean houses professionally and have became "friends" with several of my clients. We have talked about deaths of family,pets and births etc... I probably know more about them then other people do,but it's different. When they no longer require services ,there isn't any ill will and I may send them a text on occasion but the "friendship" is essentially over after our common bond is removed. They are more of a professional association rather then a friend when you really get down to it.
Honestly I think your expecting too much from your agent. The job is to sale or acquire a house. The second one sounds like she was doing whatever she felt that you needed to complete the process. It's not necessarily being fake as much as it's reading the needs of your client. It sounds like the transaction yielded good results so I'm not sure why you have a problem. You hired her to find You a house,not to fulfill the role of a lifetime friend.
I clean houses professionally and have became "friends" with several of my clients. We have talked about deaths of family,pets and births etc... I probably know more about them then other people do,but it's different. When they no longer require services ,there isn't any ill will and I may send them a text on occasion but the "friendship" is essentially over after our common bond is removed. They are more of a professional association rather then a friend when you really get down to it.
I disagree, but I was there. she really pushed the friendship angle. "When you live here we can go _______", calling herself grandma to my kids. I am friendly with lots of people and don't expect they are long term friends. My housekeepers included. This was different. Don't worry, I wasn't heart broken over it...I just thought...great I actually fell for it.
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