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I would like to hear from actual people, not realtors, this was not posted for realtors to comment.....this was posted for people who are interested in buying homes in this area or any other areas for that matter.......my husband had the "privilege" to work with people such as the ones mentioned in the article! and had to "fix" issues created by people that DO that type of stuff to innocent buyers/sellers.
You guys are 3 people, how many realtors are in Tampa? a Google search and there are thousands......how can you vouch for all of them????????
We sold 3 homes by ourselves.....no issues what so ever....and also bought our homes by doing our own re-search, however, not everyone does that...I think it is important for people to be informed.
Possibly, so you get the results you want, i.e., no Realtor comments, is to change the name on your thread to where it says 'for buyers/sellers only - no Realtors'. I think someone else did the same thing so they got feedback from the group of people they wanted. JMO
1. The title is untrue. Open houses are NOT for a good Realtor's benefit. All activity on the property should be aimed at selling that property.
I have written offers from Open Houses, as my clients have engaged me to do.
But, it would be naive to ignore that the agent's opportunity to derive ancillary business, i.e., meet people who did not want to buy the subject property, is a dynamic in all the marketing.
Good Realtors take listings to sell them. Period.
Ancillary business is a secondary benefit.
Taking listings primarily to generate sign calls and leads is unethical, IMO.
And I develop this conversation when discussing open houses with sellers.
2. Untrue. Some agents do not negotiate. Some do. To say your Broker will not tell you this is silly.
3. Pocketing offers? That is the lowest level of dereliction of duty. SmartMoney wants the reader to believe that agents do this across the board, and that makes it a lie.
4. Confidentiality is implicit in all exclusive agency forms. Another lie. Agents market this responsibility strongly.
5. I don't have to disclose that I would screw a client. I don't consider it a tool in my professional deportment. And almost all the agents I know recognize their responsibility to their client, not the other side.
Regarding bonuses, etc.: North Carolina disclosure laws make it imperative that I disclose my co-broke to any buyer before they are in decision-making mode. So if I only wnat the big commission, the bonus, the cruise, the client gets to see that those are the homes I am showing.
6. Why would I say this? I know more than "zilch about zoning." Most agents I know do too, and ask zoning related questions about subject properties and surrounding properties. "Zilch" is a slang term meant to pump emotions in readers, not to enlighten.
7. Bunk. My clients get to decide. I am not a principal in the deal. They quote a home inspector. Big thrill. My most recommended inspector knows he will lose my business if he fails to be thorough. And Woody is wrong. I do not give a list. I have more skill than that.
8. I never forget I am not an attorney. Ever. The Kansas dude should get out more often, or the writer should have talked to someone with a different experience. Possession by Seller after close, or Buyer before close is a nightmare waiting to happen. I have only done it once, for 24 hours. At the insistence of the parties, not for me.
Clients always have the right to have an attorney review a contract. Their choice.
9. Whoopeeee. Not worthy of material consideration. Some sites are better than others. Mine is better than some. Some are better than mine. There's disclosure. Claiming to have the best site around would be pure ego, as subjective as site preference is.
Heck, some people like Trulia and Zillow. 'Nuf said.
10. Some people can do this without me, or any other agent. Some cannot. Unrepresented sellers and buyers account for some of the most confused and pained threads on CityData.
People who engage me make a decision to engage an agent. I do not tell them they cannot proceed without me.
But that is me. I'm not some moron who runs around bleating, "It's a great time to buy a house" to anyone within shouting distance.
It is a C- middle school article that found a national venue.
It deserves to be discussed as such.
Last edited by MikeJaquish; 07-12-2009 at 05:23 PM..
Thanks for sharing this article. Good article.
I am a home buyer, and I am not a real estate agent.
# 7 - Home inspector will rubber stamp the deal - was dead-on.
My parents allowed their buyer's agent recommend a home inspector. Home inspector came through and found nothing wrong with the house. My dad (who is quite handy) did his own inspection and found major "misses" by the home inspector. When he confronted the home inspector, the home inspector avoided him. Then he sent a stern letter to the home inspector saying that the home inspector could either refund his money or do a proper inspection. The home inspector refunded their money.
I am a real person and agree with Chuckity and Mike again. Dismiss my opinion if you will, but you've sold 3 homes and I closed 6 last month. I deal with agents a lot and the article is wrong. I'm not saying those things can't or don't happen but it implies that all agents do those things. In reality I'd say it's probably fewer than 1%, 5% at the most that do those things. It's a poor, generalizing article.
And Srnyong, sounds like your parents didn't do their due diligence in hiring if that's true, or either had the wool pulled over their eyes by a scheister. Either way, the above still applies.
Thanks for sharing this article. Good article.
I am a home buyer, and I am not a real estate agent. # 7 - Home inspector will rubber stamp the deal - was dead-on.
My parents allowed their buyer's agent recommend a home inspector. Home inspector came through and found nothing wrong with the house. My dad (who is quite handy) did his own inspection and found major "misses" by the home inspector. When he confronted the home inspector, the home inspector avoided him. Then he sent a stern letter to the home inspector saying that the home inspector could either refund his money or do a proper inspection. The home inspector refunded their money.
Well, I know I'm stepping into it big time here, but this is just insulting to a lot of very good home inspectors out there, as well as buyer agents - are there bad and lazy ones roaming around? Of course; just like any other profession like attorneys, doctors, car mechanics, etc. And while I am very sorry your father had a bad experience, to essentially state that all home inspectors will 'rubber stamp' a deal is just flat out incorrect. I worked with one in particular in the states that took hours going through every square inch of a home and was very diligent. He found things that I don't think anyone would have seen. What I find just amazing is that people actually read things like this and take it as Gospel. JMO
Thanks for sharing this article. Good article. I am a home buyer, and I am not a real estate agent.
So, the question remains: "Are you an 'actual person' by dint of either one of those conditions?"
I did see where you mention the home inspector refunded the money.
That seemed like an honorable act to me under the circumstances, stern letter or not.
No agent in their right mind pushes clients to a home inspector who will whitewash the condition of a home. It is a stupid practice, and borders on craziness.
Next time, screen for sanity.
Well, I know I'm stepping into it big time here, but this is just insulting to a lot of very good home inspectors out there, as well as buyer agents - are there bad and lazy ones roaming around? Of course; just like any other profession like attorneys, doctors, car mechanics, etc. And while I am very sorry your father had a bad experience, to essentially state that all home inspectors will 'rubber stamp' a deal is just flat out incorrect. I worked with one in particular in the states that took hours going through every square inch of a home and was very diligent. He found things that I don't think anyone would have seen. What I find just amazing is that people actually read things like this and take it as Gospel. JMO
WELL! HMPH!
YOU could NEVER sell magazines!
Being a stickler for common sense would put you out of business fast.
Thanks for sharing this article. Good article.
I am a home buyer, and I am not a real estate agent.
# 7 - Home inspector will rubber stamp the deal - was dead-on.
My parents allowed their buyer's agent recommend a home inspector. Home inspector came through and found nothing wrong with the house. My dad (who is quite handy) did his own inspection and found major "misses" by the home inspector. When he confronted the home inspector, the home inspector avoided him. Then he sent a stern letter to the home inspector saying that the home inspector could either refund his money or do a proper inspection. The home inspector refunded their money.
You know some listing agents do prelisting home inspections and then the buyers do their own so there are two eyes on the property. There are bad, fair, average, good and excellent home inspectors just like there are in ANY profession. When I moved to Salem I was recommended a doctor by a co-worker and I didn't like the doctor so I went to a different one. Doesn't mean that I think all doctors stink. I just happened to get referred to a not so good one...
Many buyers rely on agents to help find a good home inspector because they are relocating across the country and don't know anyone. If you pick a good quality professional agent, then you should get a good quality home inspector.
While this situation is unfortunate, I think it is more unfortunate that you have condemned all home inspectors based on this one experience.
I'm a real person (not a realtor) and sold the first house I owned by myself.
The article was 'spot-on' about 3 things:
1. It's very simple. All the complicated legwork is done by the closing company, not the realtor.
"Realtors want you to think it's a very complicated process requiring their technical experience". True statement. Inaccurate. Inaccurate.
2. Realtors are not lawyers.
Realtors use State Issued Sales Contracts Inaccurate.
(which any buyer/seller can download for free)Inaccurate. and then put their own agency logo at the top.....to make you think it's their due diligence which went into ten pages of legaleese.Inaccurate. Also, every contract says: GET A LEGAL REVIEW BEFORE SIGNING! Inaccurate.Costs about $75-300, but realtors don't want you to "muddy the waters".Inaccurate. ...which brings us to the 3rd truth:
3. Realtors often muddy the waters with their intereference, excessive fees Inaccurate. and lack of contract law education.
Buying a house is not like purchasing a used car.
Yet, most realtors have little or no secondary degreed education in this field.Inaccurate.
Sorry Sport...getting your Gold Jacket, being a "Phoenix" or hitting the 'print' button to recieve your online/weekend seminar offical looking certificate doesn't qualify. Irrelevant.
After many years and home purchases, I reached the obvious conclusion that you should never let someone less educated than yourself have any hand in such a large personal, financial transaction. Interesting to see the conclusion based on a string of inaccurate suppositions. That is truly your right, but the general public should be on their toes when considering the value of the information.
At that, I'm calling it a night. Being an "actual person" means I require sleep.
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