Realtor wnats to charge me for showing houses (Austin: sale, broker) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

lolasmom · 12-09-2009, 08:19 AM

Just recently came back from Austin.
The Realtor I met was pretty much a HIGH PRESSURE guy. If he showed me more than 5 houses a day- he wanted me to sign an exclusive- which I did!
When I told him I was not going to make my decision now ( 3 days mind you) he wants me to pay him $300 for showing me properties.
Lived in 3 states - bought nad sold many houses- never heard of such a thing.

I appreciate some input. THANKS

stan4 · 12-09-2009, 08:22 AM

That's b.s. and this guy is a shyster.

Trainwreck20 · 12-09-2009, 08:23 AM

Ummm...think you need to hear from the realtors on the forum, but I am pretty sure that a) if it isn't in your contract, tell him "no thanks!", b) see if there is not some sort of ethics violation? c) ditch the realtor, you can find several thousand that will do it for free, and if yours needs to charge you for time spent (esp. with an exclusive contract signed) then he/she is not very good.

OneJackson · 12-09-2009, 08:32 AM

don't do it.

oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots · 12-09-2009, 08:33 AM

You said: "If he showed me more than 5 houses a day- he wanted me to sign an exclusive- which I did!"

Was it in the contract you signed?

Jennibc · 12-09-2009, 08:34 AM

Sounds crooked to me. Don't pay the $300.

TexasHorseLady · 12-09-2009, 08:52 AM

I've heard of this business model in other states, but it should be made clear up front, and in the buyer's rep agreement that you signed.

Look at the buyer's rep agreement that you signed. If it's the one we normally use, provided by TAR (TAR 1501), the only places on there where that would be indicated would be 11.F.(3) or 17. Special Provisions, where it would be written in. If it's not the promulgated form, but one written by the broker for your agent, ask him to show you where in the agreement you agreed to do that (or look at your own copy of the signed/initialed agreement). If it's there, then you have agreed to pay it. If it's not, then he's trying to pull something and is an embarrassment to our profession.

Requiring that the buyer sign a buyer's rep agreement is not all that uncommon, though I usually don't require it until we've been out on a house-looking expedition and seen if we BOTH think it's a good match (yes, sometimes agents don't want to work with particular buyers and don't have to, go figure). It protects both parties as, technically, in Texas, if you as an agent don't have a buyer's rep agreement with a particular buyer to represent them, you have a fiduciary responsibility to the sellers of the houses you show them, not to that buyer, and it's a good (the best) way to establish who's working for whom and what the expectations are. I do insist that my buyers read the thing before signing it, though, even if it means sitting down and going over each clause with them!

So, bottom line answer to your original post is, is it in the buyer's rep agreement that you would pay this under these circumstances? If not, there's no agreement to do so - even if he says that you said you would, verbal is worth the paper it's printed on.

Also, if you feel uncomfortable working with this particular agent, talk to his broker, who might have another agent you'd prefer or who might let you out of the buyer's rep agreement. Make sure you let him know WHY you're uncomfortable with this particular agent.

calel · 12-09-2009, 08:53 AM

It's not ZipRealty, is it? I had a friend make the mistake of using them and it was a lot of the same high pressure nonsense. When he parted ways with the agent (for a far, far better and honest realtor), he got the nastiest passive aggressive email from them.

That sounds incredibly crooked to me. The buyer's agent contract at the beginning is normal to protect the realtor's interests and you, but $300 because you haven't made a decision in 3 days is not. The realtors can correct me if I'm wrong, but I've been under the impression that realtors make their money from the sale at the end (a commission), not from you. I would run far, far away from this guy.

oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots · 12-09-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

verbal is worth the paper it's printed on.

Not when it comes to cattle rustling!

TexasHorseLady · 12-09-2009, 09:36 AM

You saw that article, too? Capitol Land & Cattle is just up the road a couple of miles (and, actually, in some of the surrounding pastures). My thought upon seeing that was, "Hey, 20 years is better than hanging!"