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Do not stop looking. We bought our house sight unseen nearly 6 years ago. We had a great agent who was on the ball. On the day (Monday) our house hit the market, my email to our agent and hers to me crossed in the ethernet. She had arrived in the office for the weekly meeting and one of the other agents had just taken the listing over the weekend. As soon as she saw it, she knew that's what we wanted. The earliest she could get to the property was Wednesday and she did a great job taking pictures and videos. We had a signed offer contingent upon inspection by Friday at a price my agent was really surprised at. Closing was within a month.
We got a chance to see our house a few days after the closing. Everything about the property and the house was exactly as we saw in the pictures and via google earth - no surprises.
The most important pieces in this purchase was having an inspector and agent we trusted.
I think you should find a new agent. All of us have things happen in our lives that impact our work sometimes. The agent is obviously under stress and doesn't have good customer service at this moment in time. It doesn't mean she is a bad agent, merely that she is human. Who knows. Maybe her mom was sick for several months and in and out of the hospital, or she was moved to hospice.
That said, why would you ask to be notified of a status change? That seems unhelpful since it would be too late to do anything. Did you mean that you wanted to know if another offer came in so that you could write one too? Writing offers blind is very risky, but you might have to do that since you live overseas.
I don't see any normal reason given to indicate why she should find a new agent? There is very little the agent could have done to change the situation. Did I miss something??
I don't see any normal reason given to indicate why she should find a new agent? There is very little the agent could have done to change the situation. Did I miss something??
Yes, you did, little sprout!
The agent was *supposed* to lick all of the door handles on the home on behalf of the "serious" overseas buyer & post a notice on the door stating, "Don't even think about writing an offer on this house, I *licked* the door handles, therefore - under both the Geneva Convention, and the Doctrine of "Neener-Neener", I claim this house on behalf of my overseas buyer ".
Well, you DID get a notice that the status had changed -- it changed from "Available" to "Under Contract". What other status were you expecting: "HEY, SOMEONE IS THINKING ABOUT PUTTING AN OFFER ON THIS HOUSE!"? It sounds like she had some major family issues to deal with just as this was happening, but you DID get a notice. And, frankly, if it was posted on July 2nd, it probably went under contract a day or two before that. So getting it on July 4th just meant that you heard about it two days later. So . . . what would you have done differently, if you had heard of it on July 2nd? Nothing, that's what. Maybe put in a back-up offer, but apparently your financing isn't settled enough for that, yet?
In the current market of highly desirable locations, homes go FAST. The last three homes we've sold in the Atlanta area were sold before we could even get the photos done and put them on the MLS -- at above the listing price. It's crazy. So, if this is a popular community, you don't have the leisure to mull it over. You have to jump on it, hard. I have one client who is on her FOURTH offer for a modestly-priced condo -- she keeps trying to bid low, and is always surprised when the final bids end up higher than the listing price. Can't seem to find a way to explain it to her that this is not a buyer's market any longer -- eventually she'll catch on. Another one bid $16K over the listing price -- and STILL lost out in a multiple-offer situation to an all-cash buyer. Frustrating for everyone.
If you aren't satisfied with the agent's feedback, you are certainly free to look for another agent. However, as a matter of professional courtesy, you should have a "come to Jesus" meeting with the agent and express your dissatisfaction with her lack of follow-through. If she has been going through a particularly trying time, you may find that she is more responsive now that she doesn't have family issues pulling her apart. If, on the other hand, she's still distracted, kindly suggest that she refer you to another agent -- at least she'll get a small referral fee, and you'll hopefully have an agent that is more responsive.
Mentioned above about making a blind offer without seeing the home. Our market is extremely hot and I would discourage any Seller from taking an offer from a Buyer who has not seen the home. This is happening here some and many times when they see it they are walking on the deal.
Too many good multiple offers to take one from someone who's never seen the house.
And Ours is such where you must be here to see them as they hit the market.
I don't know how to feel at this point. We started this search for our home 3 months ago and when we found the one we liked we emailed a realtor (recommended on C-D), and after waiting a couple of weeks we finally heard from her after the poster contacted her.
It took two weeks to respond to an email.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daisypups
When we have called she always sounds annoyed like we have interrupted her and then she lightens up (a bit) within a few minutes.
Agent's communication style makes the OP feel like they are an irritation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daisypups
In mid June I sent a list of 9 questions and it was two weeks before I heard through another poster, who is using her and is not happy with her either, that her mother died and she had to leave for the east coast. On June 30th I resent the list at the agent's request and have not to this date heard from her other than this automatic email re the house.
The OP asked questions and the agent hasn't responded several weeks later.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnum_22
I don't see any normal reason given to indicate why she should find a new agent? There is very little the agent could have done to change the situation. Did I miss something??
Lack of communication is a very common reason for termination of services.
I agree that there are some reasons for termination based upon her communication not meeting up with yours. In her defense, the work in front of us these days supercedes the work that is months away. That initial communication - assuming the friend emailed or called her and didn't FB message or CD message her - should have certainly been returned in 2 days or less. As far as a list of questions, that falls into the "I will get to this in plenty of time for you to be prepared to buy when you come to town?"
And the different expectations in communications shows through on the "I thought she'd call me". I cannot imagine making an international call to inform you that a house went under contract, that a house came on the market, etc. A 10-20 minute call once, maybe twice before you come to discuss strategy, etc? Sure.
Don't give up completely on the house. In my area, "contingent" means that the buyer has some complication and may not be 100% ready to buy either. If you had your ducks in a row, and came in with a better offer with fewer complications, the seller may be able to "bump" the other buyer if they can't remove the complication in the allotted time frame. Maybe not. But don't just write it off, ask the question when you are in town.
I agree with everything else said. You need to be ready to move quickly. In my area, the good listings are getting multiple offers and if you aren't a clean offer at or over full price, you typically will get beat out, in the first 2 days on the market. If you aren't ready to buy, the agent isn't going to spend a lot of time with you. I know that sounds harsh, but that is just how it is. When you are serious and ready, they'll spend all the time you need, but in the meantime, especially where you are overseas, expect an occasional email communication to be the norm.
I think you should find a new agent. All of us have things happen in our lives that impact our work sometimes. The agent is obviously under stress and doesn't have good customer service at this moment in time. It doesn't mean she is a bad agent, merely that she is human. Who knows. Maybe her mom was sick for several months and in and out of the hospital, or she was moved to hospice.
That said, why would you ask to be notified of a status change? That seems unhelpful since it would be too late to do anything. Did you mean that you wanted to know if another offer came in so that you could write one too? Writing offers blind is very risky, but you might have to do that since you live overseas.
Ditto.
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