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Old 05-16-2009, 10:27 AM
 
4,145 posts, read 10,400,769 times
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Actually, it's stealing and it's unethical. That's their decision, but it doesn't make it any less unethical.

This happens a lot to Realtors. We're asked for advice by someone that knows full well they're not planning on using our assistance. They feel like they have a right to waste our time and steal the information we work very hard to attain, and then not use our help.

The silver lining for us is that more times than not, they get enough info to think they know what they're doing, but it turns out to be an utter failure.

People are welcome to do what they like, but it IS unethical and they shouldn't complain when things don't work out like they think it would.

Most people disagree with stealing from any professional, but for some reason, they never include Realtors. We're always the exception to the rule.
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Old 05-16-2009, 11:20 AM
 
Location: Barrington
63,919 posts, read 46,527,253 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevcrawford View Post

Most people disagree with stealing from any professional, but for some reason, they never include Realtors. We're always the exception to the rule.
Most people do not consider using someone's time to be theft. It's the cost of doing business, no different than the cost of shoplifting and fraud schemes.
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Old 05-16-2009, 03:04 PM
 
4,145 posts, read 10,400,769 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by middle-aged mom View Post
Most people do not consider using someone's time to be theft. It's the cost of doing business, no different than the cost of shoplifting and fraud schemes.
It's theft of time, but also knowledge. The OP said they interviewed three to get pricing ideas, and then scrapped them all and used what they told them.

I know it happens a lot, but it doesn't make it right. It's a shame we don't get the respect other professionals do.
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Old 05-16-2009, 03:51 PM
 
5,458 posts, read 6,698,940 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevcrawford View Post
It's theft of time, but also knowledge. The OP said they interviewed three to get pricing ideas, and then scrapped them all and used what they told them.
No matter what, she would have "stolen" from two of the three since she couldn't have used all three at one time. Do you also blame the professionals for trying to steal a potential client from one another - after all, by trying to win her business they're trying to get her to "steal" free information from the other agents.

Quote:
I know it happens a lot, but it doesn't make it right. It's a shame we don't get the respect other professionals do.
It's part of doing business in all sorts of professions ... that's why companies have marketing budgets. Not all sales calls result in sales, but if you're good at what you do, the cost of marketing is more than made up for by increased sales. I'm not sure why you think RE agents are unique here.
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Old 05-16-2009, 05:18 PM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 10 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,109 posts, read 76,693,175 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevcrawford View Post
It's theft of time, but also knowledge. The OP said they interviewed three to get pricing ideas, and then scrapped them all and used what they told them...
Quote:
Originally Posted by KCfromNC View Post
No matter what, she would have "stolen" from two of the three since she couldn't have used all three at one time. Do you also blame the professionals for trying to steal a potential client from one another - after all, by trying to win her business they're trying to get her to "steal" free information from the other agents.



It's part of doing business in all sorts of professions ... that's why companies have marketing budgets. Not all sales calls result in sales, but if you're good at what you do, the cost of marketing is more than made up for by increased sales. I'm not sure why you think RE agents are unique here.
Gosh. You are both off the mark, while in strong disagreement.
I propose other factors may be at play.

What the OP said:
"We are listed via a flat fee MLS listing agent, so we don't really have an agent, per se, other than the fact that the company lists us on the MLS."
"...we met with 3 realtors prior to listing our house and we set our price based on the average of their suggestions, and after carefully reviewing the comps. We're pretty confident it's competitively priced and we are certainly getting a lot of calls for showing. I think we've had about 15 in the past month."

1. I think it is a matter of intent, to some degree.
While it would be unethical, and even a little classless, to call out three Realtors to steal time and access pricing consultations with an agenda that precluded any intent to give one of them the opportunity to list, while concealing a resolve to use a fourth person for an entry only listing, nowhere does the OP indicate that there was no intent to give a business opportunity to one of the three.

2. It is unclear from the OP's posts whether the "agent" who listed the property on the MLS is one of the three who made proposals.
If that agent was one of the three and made the best pitch, and did not tell the OP to arbitrarily drag two more people out to help set pricing for free, then the Listing agent just had the best value proposition.
C'est la vie.

3. One significant difference between real estate brokerage and other professions, at least in North Carolina, is that the seller owns the CMA's produced by prospective agents.
So a duplicitous seller can call out multiple agents and steal time without any intent to do business, and come away with more than a proposal for services and costs.
In what other profession does the prospect own the prospective professional's work without intent to do business?
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Old 05-16-2009, 05:54 PM
 
Location: Barrington
63,919 posts, read 46,527,253 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish View Post

In what other profession does the prospect own the prospective professional's work without intent to do business?
It does not work that way in my area. Most agent will take the CMA with them.

In landscape or kitchen design, the consumer pays $X for the plan. Most will rebate the cost of the plan if and when the consumer uses the firm to execute the plan.
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Old 05-16-2009, 06:06 PM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 10 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,109 posts, read 76,693,175 times
Reputation: 45433
Quote:
Originally Posted by middle-aged mom View Post
It does not work that way in my area. Most agent will take the CMA with them.

In landscape or kitchen design, the consumer pays $X for the plan. Most will rebate the cost of the plan if and when the consumer uses the firm to execute the plan.
Understood.
I don't doubt that there are several variations on the theme around the country.

And I have no problem with folks who are willing to pay for a CMA, in any state.
The OP also did not indicate that was the case either.

KCfromNC may benefit from understanding that point and how it applies locally, here in NC.
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Old 05-16-2009, 06:18 PM
 
50 posts, read 128,358 times
Reputation: 50
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevcrawford View Post
Actually, it's stealing and it's unethical. That's their decision, but it doesn't make it any less unethical.
Baloney. If I use information found on various websites about a certain product am I under some ethical obligation to buy the product from that website? Baloney.

My take on it is this: Even if Sassy planned at the outset to gather information from full service Realtors only to use the information with a discount broker a GOOD Realtor would have sold her on their service and why you would be a fool not to go with them. It's called Real Estate Sales and the first thing that you have to sell is yourself and your service.

It's sad that none of the 3 agents that met with Sassy could accomplish that and as a result she went with a discount broker, has a lot more headaches and will probably net less money than if she had found good representation.
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Old 05-16-2009, 06:29 PM
 
Location: Lead/Deadwood, SD
948 posts, read 2,783,243 times
Reputation: 872
Showings are a good thing - I suspect the OP would be far more disappointed at this stage had no one even looked at the home due to the lack of bath space. My listers would be ticked at me if I told them I had talked buyer out of viewing their home because of a possible criteria issue. I think most agents will agree people frequently stray from their criteria and buy on feeling.
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Old 05-17-2009, 08:40 AM
 
5,458 posts, read 6,698,940 times
Reputation: 1814
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish View Post
Understood.
I don't doubt that there are several variations on the theme around the country.

And I have no problem with folks who are willing to pay for a CMA, in any state.
The OP also did not indicate that was the case either.

KCfromNC may benefit from understanding that point and how it applies locally, here in NC.
It is interesting that the client owns the CMA, but that's a separate discussion. There are lots of things you don't own which you can use information from - television, radio, newspaper, textbooks, marketing comparisons, and so on. There's nothing unethical about using that sort of information to make decisions without owning the source, so correcting people about who owns what is missing the point.

BootstrapTX's post sums up my thoughts pretty well, including the fact that her decision to avoid hiring an agent might work against her in the long run.
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