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Old 01-17-2013, 06:42 PM
 
5 posts, read 24,858 times
Reputation: 10

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I'm not sure how I should view this or handle it...

The listing agent contacted my client about 2 months after we purchased a property and suggested that "if my client needed to 'get out of the property', that he could help him sell it and 'might break even''.

The client happened to be a high school buddy of mine, so I wasn't worried about him poaching my client, but this seems very shady if not unethical or illegal. On top of that, the choice of his words... "if you need to get out of the property" and "I might be able break even", implies that my client bought a bad property or he paid too much, etc.

Does anyone know if this is illegal? Technically both of our contracts as the listing and the buying agents were fulfilled, but at the very least it is truly bad form... maybe worth a stern email to his broker about the situation?

What are your thoughts? Anyone?

Thanks
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Old 01-17-2013, 06:45 PM
 
Location: Inman Park (Atlanta, GA)
21,870 posts, read 15,024,797 times
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It might be shady but I don't see where s/he broke any laws or crossed any ethics.
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Old 01-17-2013, 06:54 PM
 
Location: Gilbert - Val Vista Lakes
6,069 posts, read 14,720,839 times
Reputation: 3876
When that transaction is complete, any agent can contact that person to solicit business.

If you are still in a transaction, that is, you have the home listed, another agent cannot solicit that listing. However, another agent can contact the client while it's listed, to solicit a separate transaction. They can solicit the seller to offer a buyers agent service.

They just cannot interfere with your existing agency agreement.
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Old 01-17-2013, 07:01 PM
 
5 posts, read 24,858 times
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I figured this much, I just felt slighted. I guessed I don't need to bother with it, my client just thinks of the other agent as a sleazy salesman now. Thanks for the replies.
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Old 01-17-2013, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Inman Park (Atlanta, GA)
21,870 posts, read 15,024,797 times
Reputation: 14326
Well the other agent could have crossed a boundary if your client is on the do not call list
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Old 01-17-2013, 07:39 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,666 posts, read 29,540,339 times
Reputation: 33154
Default We?

Quote:
Originally Posted by gggamut View Post
contacted my client about 2 months after we purchased a property
You and your client bought a property together?
We (the editorial, not the royal) find that very strange.
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Old 01-17-2013, 09:42 PM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,330 posts, read 17,974,930 times
Reputation: 5531
Quote:
Originally Posted by gggamut View Post
I'm not sure how I should view this or handle it...

The listing agent contacted my client about 2 months after we purchased a property and suggested that "if my client needed to 'get out of the property', that he could help him sell it and 'might break even''.

The client happened to be a high school buddy of mine, so I wasn't worried about him poaching my client, but this seems very shady if not unethical or illegal. On top of that, the choice of his words... "if you need to get out of the property" and "I might be able break even", implies that my client bought a bad property or he paid too much, etc.

Does anyone know if this is illegal? Technically both of our contracts as the listing and the buying agents were fulfilled, but at the very least it is truly bad form... maybe worth a stern email to his broker about the situation?

What are your thoughts? Anyone?

Thanks
If that's the extent of the conversation, there's no "there" there. Had the client asked, "what do you mean?", and allowed the other agent to elaborate, and the other agent proceeded to step in it by dogging you, confessing some previously withheld material fact about the property, etc., you might have grounds for an Ethics Complaint alleging violation of the Realtor Code of Ethics.

But the other responses are correct. Once the deal closes, your "client" is no longer "your" client, and can be approached by and prospected by any agent.

Steve
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Old 01-18-2013, 01:35 AM
 
5 posts, read 24,858 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by austin-steve View Post
If that's the extent of the conversation, there's no "there" there. Had the client asked, "what do you mean?", and allowed the other agent to elaborate, and the other agent proceeded to step in it by dogging you, confessing some previously withheld material fact about the property, etc., you might have grounds for an Ethics Complaint alleging violation of the Realtor Code of Ethics.

But the other responses are correct. Once the deal closes, your "client" is no longer "your" client, and can be approached by and prospected by any agent.

Steve
My client said that the conversation was mostly about how He (the other agent) would understand if he wanted to "get out of" the property... and that he could "probably help him out so that he would "break even."

I guess what upsets me is that his language basically says that we were stupid to purchase the property at the price we purchased at... which is completely untrue... it was about $150,000 below list and about $15K below what comps told me it was worth. So my client definitely got a deal... there is money in there if he wanted to flip it and the other agent knows it... that's why he's trying to get my client to sell his house... and he's kind of implying that he got a bad deal and might need to "get out of it"... which couldn't be farther from the truth.

I'll just let it go... it's not that big of a deal... I'm just a little irritated by it.

Thanks all for responding.
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Old 01-18-2013, 07:33 AM
 
11,113 posts, read 19,410,701 times
Reputation: 10172
I don't understand the "we" part either. Nevertheless, (a) it would have been nice if your buyer told your high school buddy that if they decided to sell in the future, they would be listing the property with you. (b) you found out he's not your buddy. I believe there should be honor among agents.
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Old 01-18-2013, 09:27 AM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,330 posts, read 17,974,930 times
Reputation: 5531
Quote:
Originally Posted by gggamut View Post
My client said that the conversation was mostly about how He (the other agent) would understand if he wanted to "get out of" the property... and that he could "probably help him out so that he would "break even."

I guess what upsets me is that his language basically says that we were stupid to purchase the property at the price we purchased at... which is completely untrue... it was about $150,000 below list and about $15K below what comps told me it was worth. So my client definitely got a deal... there is money in there if he wanted to flip it and the other agent knows it... that's why he's trying to get my client to sell his house... and he's kind of implying that he got a bad deal and might need to "get out of it"... which couldn't be farther from the truth.

I'll just let it go... it's not that big of a deal... I'm just a little irritated by it.

Thanks all for responding.
Well, you're hearing all of this 2nd hand so you don't actually what was meant at all, or even said for that matter. Focus on getting your next buyer/listing lead, not this sort of drama.

Good luck!!

Steve
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