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it's clear that - very unfortunately to the profession - that many folks have wound up with unqualified agents, in one way or another, that made the experience unsatisfactory.
Those that would prefer to be satisfied, I truly wish they could find a qualified agent.
There's also a subset of humanity that are always unhappy, believe everyone is out to get them, and will never be satisfied. For them, the provider of any good or service doesn't matter. They'll find SOMETHING that they konw - they just KNOW - is the AHA!, they've been screwing me!!
I don't know if they are unqualified, I don't think that is the problem. They are greedy and don't care about people! They just work for money and you become a number after the sale and contract is completed. I have little respect for real estate agents, as it takes little education as well to become one.
It is a flawed concept. The agent has minimal control at best over what a seller will accept. What about a market with low inventory and everything is multiple offers? Would there not be some reward for merely helping the agent close on the house? Or is this a bonus for a lower price?
No, I reject this proposal out of hand. On the surface it sounds good but it doesn't actually improve anything when digging deeper. There will still be issues. Different issues but still issues.
The agent's job is to assist the person with the transaction. If we can help save a little money for them along they way that's great but at the end of the day it still comes back to the agent has limited control over final sales price.
For what it's worth...I don't see a new compensation model based entirely or even significantly on something like savings off of list price. Too complicated and too singly focused. It also still creates a big incentive to get the deal signed sooner rather than later (which may not be in the interest of the buyer) as agent payment is still dependent on getting a sale done.
It also retains the today's problem that commission is just one lump sum for a poorly defined set of activities rather than well defined deliverables with pricing to match the resource required to do the work.
This is no excuse for being wrong and I was wrong to assume that an agent disclosure form for CA would only be needed to be filled out by the seller's agent. blah blah blah Anyway, this does not change the fact that I was incorrect to assume that the form is only for the seller's agent.
There, I acknowledged my mistake and I will acknowledge any further mistakes. ...Therefore, will you pledge to retract and correct, just as I have, any misinformation or misleading information that you give here? blah blah blah
I've acknowledged error many times, both in real life and on the internet. But error is not determined by your opinion.
I don't know if they are unqualified, I don't think that is the problem. They are greedy and don't care about people! They just work for money and you become a number after the sale and contract is completed. I have little respect for real estate agents, as it takes little education as well to become one.
As far as I have known a 6% commission has been tacked on to traditional sales of homes. Where I live it seems that when prices are low few people complain about that. Maybe because the market is not moving at all, which created the low prices in the first place. When we bought our home at the end of 2010 few people were buying and thus fewer people were complaining about paying a 6% commission. Then again, we were not complaining at all, as we were buying a home. It did not cost me any commissions from where I stood. At least I did not know about it. We offered a price that was accepted. We were good with that price. No one tacked on an additional 6% to the price we offered.
The bank that owned the home was happy to accept because at the time, they did not want to own a home. They wanted money.
Prices have climbed back up in our area. It is getting harder and harder to find a single family home for less than $500,000 in our area and these are for homes built in the 1940 and out. till today. Our home was built in the early 60's. What you have is families struggling to get a home and families that want to sell but see the numbers that it will cost to sell. You have a $500,000 home and off the top $30,000 will walk away. That can hurt the middle class home seller. I guess when homes were selling for less that 6% was easier to swallow.
I don't know if they are unqualified, I don't think that is the problem. They are greedy and don't care about people! They just work for money and you become a number after the sale and contract is completed. I have little respect for real estate agents, as it takes little education as well to become one.
Well that's a crazy blanket statement. Are you saying that I'm greedy and don't care about people or just other agents?
The state mandates requirements to achieve a license. The requirements to get a license are quite different than the knowledge and time invested to become a competent agent. Perhaps you should do a better job interviewing potential agents and you'll have a better experience.
As with most things... you have a choice to patronize or not.
The last open house I attended with simply a drive by and saw the sign... the agent could be a poster person for the no comment philosophy... she was not there to answer questions but to hand out the flyer and provide access.
Maybe I have been spoiled by only working with seasoned professionals that know their farm areas inside and out... even the names of teachers in the local public school and commendations the school has received...
As to being greedy... there is one agent that after the transaction closes each buyer receives a Weber Grill... nothing is mentioned ahead of time... simply a little bonus that would seem contrary to greed... why spend money after the commission has been earned and received?
As with most things... you have a choice to patronize or not.
The last open house I attended with simply a drive by and saw the sign... the agent could be a poster person for the no comment philosophy... she was not there to answer questions but to hand out the flyer and provide access.
Maybe I have been spoiled by only working with seasoned professionals that know their farm areas inside and out... even the names of teachers in the local public school and commendations the school has received...
As to being greedy... there is one agent that after the transaction closes each buyer receives a Weber Grill... nothing is mentioned ahead of time... simply a little bonus that would seem contrary to greed... why spend money after the commission has been earned and received?
Like in all professions, you have people of all stripes. People don't change easily so 'old school' types may be less bothered with liability and regulatory/legal worries. And if they live in small communities and know everyone, they might feel safer from getting sued or reported.
I think it's hard to argue that buyer's agents are not getting squeezed in terms of the value they can provide to the buyer while balancing regulatory and liability risks. Many people advise agents not to comment about schools, types of people that live in neighborhoods (even relatively 'innocent' characterizations) or crime (often proxies for race which is a violation of federal law to discuss). No debates about 'politically correct' needed. That's just the reality of the law.
Many years ago I relocated to a new city at short notice and the agent took us around and explained the racial makeup of different parts of the city. Then on to which schools performed well and which didn't, which had 'good kids' - and which had too many "ESLs". Then on to where a 'nice' young couple like us would fit right in. Yikes. So sitting here in 2018, that sounds so old fashioned and illegal. Like watching an old sitcom and cringing at the stereotypes, etc. I'm sure it was illegal back then too but nobody really worried and at the time it didn't raise eyebrows - there was no overt racism involved. Today, as the world has moved on, she would have to tell me to just go and research everything myself if she didn't want to take risks. And with the tools available today, I can do much better than she could anyway. So much for the traditional value that the buyer's agent has all the 'inside' information on neighborhoods, areas, schools. That's so 1990s.
Like in all professions, you have people of all stripes. People don't change easily so 'old school' types may be less bothered with liability and regulatory/legal worries. And if they live in small communities and know everyone, they might feel safer from getting sued or reported.
I think it's hard to argue that buyer's agents are not getting squeezed in terms of the value they can provide to the buyer while balancing regulatory and liability risks. Many people advise agents not to comment about schools, types of people that live in neighborhoods (even relatively 'innocent' characterizations) or crime (often proxies for race which is a violation of federal law to discuss). No debates about 'politically correct' needed. That's just the reality of the law.
Many years ago I relocated to a new city at short notice and the agent took us around and explained the racial makeup of different parts of the city. Then on to which schools performed well and which didn't, which had 'good kids' - and which had too many "ESLs". Then on to where a 'nice' young couple like us would fit right in. Yikes. So sitting here in 2018, that sounds so old fashioned and illegal. Like watching an old sitcom and cringing at the stereotypes, etc. I'm sure it was illegal back then too but nobody really worried and at the time it didn't raise eyebrows - there was no overt racism involved. Today, as the world has moved on, she would have to tell me to just go and research everything myself if she didn't want to take risks. And with the tools available today, I can do much better than she could anyway. So much for the traditional value that the buyer's agent has all the 'inside' information on neighborhoods, areas, schools. That's so 1990s.
Likewise with commenting on the condition of the home is increasingly dangerous and I don't see that as controversial. Just reality.
this is all very true, except one point - she probably still knows the neighborhoods, areas, and schools better than you can possibly research on the internet.
I would be interested if someone found actual lawsuits or complaints to RE Boards from consumers about neighborhoods, areas, and schools. In addition to your link, I found 2 others readily that state almost the same info, but none point to an actual incident.
But yes, I certainly answer the "are there a lot of kids in the neighborhood?" question with (essentially) "you'll have to find out for yourself". And I'm fully aware that we are advised to avoid anything that might be seen as a violation of Fair Housing
Last edited by BoBromhal; 01-29-2018 at 12:32 PM..
I've been reported to Fair Housing and it was investigated and determined unfounded... still had to go through the process.
Accepting applications for a single family rental home... one of the applicants was a single parent African American female with a child... she was not approved and she filed a complaint..
The investigator went to the home and my new tenant opened the door... a single parent African American female with 2 children.
The applicant that filed the complaint stated she was denied due to race... when in fact she was denied due to a horrible credit report and an Unlawful Detainer and I advised her of the same.
I can only imagine what would have happened had the family I did rent to had not been a single African American female with children...
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