How to deal with realtors?

[lynn]

DH and I are looking for a nice house on acreage and will are willing to make an offer if it is exactly what we are looking for. We really don't want to work with a realtor because they want to show 3 houses and want to loose you if you don't buy one which I understand. So I called the realtor who is listing a house of interest and will go see this house today. I know it's their job to show their listings so why do they pressure you into telling them what you want and make you sign an contract. How do I get them to understan that 1. We do not have to buy or sell. 2. we are very specific in what we want and will buy it when we see it if it's 2months or 2 years and if they find something call us but we DONOT want to sign an exclusive contract!!!!

[Kiva, SouthernGirlMusings]

You sound exactly like us. :) We were very upfront with our current realtor (we let loose the one of 2 years ago as she was pretty insistent on the exclusive contract thing and became a pit sour when we didn't find what we were looking for)...our current realtor knows that we are not in a hurry and if/when we find what we are looking for we will make an offer. In today's market some of the realtors are bit easier than others to deal with because they are struggling to make a sale.

As for the realtor showing the house, they can show you but you don't have to sign a contract with them because they are the seller's agent and they can't be your agent as well. They will though likely want to try to pass you off to their buddy in the house because if they can keep the entire transaction inhouse it's less splitting of the commission.

In the end you are the buyer, our economy is not the greatest so take your time and don't sign with anyone. If they remotely want your business they will ease up.

Hope it works out!

[Amy in NH]

I'm probably their worst nightmare! And, no, I don't have a real estate license.

When we were looking, last year, I acted as our buyer's agent for a few reasons: I wanted to see what I wanted to see, I wanted to be able to do FSBO or foreclosures without having to pay a realtor fee, and I wanted to contact the seller directly if I didn't like the way the realtor was working. Furthermore, the listing agent may be more amenable to making a deal to close the sale if you're going directly through them, since they don't have to split the commission if they list *and* sell.

This did, indeed, work to our advantage, although it was a ton of work for me. I spent a lot of time browsing the MLS in our region. I checked it morning and night, because good deals slip away fast. When I found a house that we wanted to see, I called the listing agent right away and arranged an appointment to see it. We found a house listed with a realtor that was bank-owned. I didn't trust the seller's agent, and when we had issues that needed to be dealt with I called Fannie Mae and spoke directly with the VP in charge of the listing (through a stroke of good luck!). Even when the seller's agent said that we wouldn't be able to do x & y, the guy at Fannie Mae was willing to work with me, *and* we got our sale closed on time in spite of a bunch of setbacks (which could have broken the deal). If we had had a buyer's agent, that never would have happened.

I also worked closely with our lender to make sure they had everything they needed (she said more than once that we never would have gotten our home if *I* hadn't been the one on top of things). And I consulted with a realtor at a non-profit homebuyer group who gave me a few good tips. Be cautious, though, as the seller's/listing agent *is* working for the seller and will use any information against you.

[Michelle in MO]

you mentioned. We had experience in the past with a high-pressure realtor. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) their job is to sell, sell, sell. Our experience has been that you need to shop around carefully for realtors and be very firm about your expectations. If they don't listen to you, drop them immediately. Never enter into a contract that you're not certain about. Also, we found out the hard way that a buyer's broker (or realtor) is, in reality, no different than a seller's realtor; their jobs are one and the same: to make a sale. So, caveat emptor!

;)

[Sunny]

It is standard in the business these days to do the exclusive contract thing. I think they feel like they can give you more that way. They make sure you are a qualified buyer so they don't waste their time or that of the sellers. They spend time looking for the listings and showing you around.
However, you are not obligated to sign that contract. You must be specific. Basically tell them:
1. You are simply asking them to show their house to you this once.
2. You are looking for something very specific, and have access to the MLS and are looking yourself because of this tight criteria. IF the realtor can come up with something to show you that fit this criteria, you would be happy to go with them to see the house and IF it was the right house, you would be ready and willing to buy.

In this market, I think realtors are working hard for a sale. A willing/able buyer means alot.

[DIY-DY]

DH and I are looking for a nice house on acreage and will are willing to make an offer if it is exactly what we are looking for. We really don't want to work with a realtor because they want to show 3 houses and want to loose you if you don't buy one which I understand. So I called the realtor who is listing a house of interest and will go see this house today. I know it's their job to show their listings so why do they pressure you into telling them what you want and make you sign an contract. How do I get them to understan that 1. We do not have to buy or sell. 2. we are very specific in what we want and will buy it when we see it if it's 2months or 2 years and if they find something call us but we DONOT want to sign an exclusive contract!!!!

We ran into some real morons when we were looking for the Forever Home. It was SO frustrating. One lady, I think, would have been okay if we'd been looking for something "canned" (model home in a subdivision, standard preferences, etc.), but anything outside your standard HOA-style housing and she was c-l-u-e-l-e-s-s. I can't imagine the fights that would have ensued if we'd signed a contract and been beholden to that woman over the course of looking for a place. (For the record, she drove us past *this very home* more than once, and never once mentioned it. We could have purchased it for nearly half what we did if we'd known about it two months earlier. *sigh*)

There is no way I would sign a THING. You want my business? Then do your job. Find me a home that meets my specs and you'll earn my business. But IMHO, those contracts are no better than non-compete agreements in other businesses. I can see the need to protect listings for the listing agents (to an extent, although they can also be abused horribly), but there is no reason to sign something for the realtor who is helping you to find a home.

Just be upfront, honest, and explicitly clear. Let them know if you're looking for someone to work with, or if you just want to see x,y,z listings. Let them know you aren't comfortable signing anything and that you won't do it. Don't be afraid to be honest. I'm sure many realtors get tired of feeling like they're being "worked" just as much as we customers do, kwim?

Hey, are you in No. AL? If you're looking for something in Morgan Co., Limestone Co., or that area, I can recommend The World's Best Realtor. Jo Shaffer, in Decatur. She's really fantastic to work with.

Good luck!
Dy

[Kate CA]

As for the realtor showing the house, they can show you but you don't have to sign a contract with them because they are the seller's agent and they can't be your agent as well.

This is not true in our state. The agent can represent both in CA and I am sure this is the case in many states. Just an FYI.

:) Kate

[DIY-DY]

This is not true in our state. The agent can represent both in CA and I am sure this is the case in many states. Just an FYI.

:) Kate

There is a specific page in your contract when you put in an offer that states you are aware that the agent is the "seller's agent" (or acting as a "dual agent", whicever the case may be). It's all spelled out in the paperwork and gone over ahead of time. But definitely legal in the states we've lived in.

[Jenny in Atl]

Wow, we don't have this here in GA (at least 3 years ago when we sold and bought another house). Even TN, Chattanooga, we looked w/o signing any contract. We did sign a contract with "those folks who shall go unnamed" to sell our home but did nothing to buy this one. How awful! Are there FSBO's in your state? Avoid the whole racket and go around them.

[Adrianne]

When dh and I were looking to buy our first house in NJ, we happened to find our realtor. She stuck with us understanding our situation and helped us buy a place that was best for us. (it really was best for us).

She was an older lady who had been a realtor all her life. She knew the business and had contacts. She would only take us to see houses that we requested and stuck to our guidelines. She really seemed to understand us and what we were looking for.

Almost ten years later, we needed to sell the house she helped us buy. We called her and she sold the house for us at over a 100% profit! Again I really felt she knew us and knew the real estate business.

My advice to you (which was my dear mil advice to me) is to just keep looking until you find a realtor you like. There are many different kinds people out there with many different personalities. Once you find one you like, stick with them!

Adrianne

[lynn]

We had one guy who wouldn't admit to his mold problem out inspector found and almost had to go to court over earnest money back. The next guy "repaired" things found in our inspection very sloppy, messy and wouldn't let us inspect the septic system. He gave earnest

[Cindyg]

I've been looking for a new house for the last 6 years. My poor real estate agent friend! We really like our house. The only way we're moving is if the perfect replacement shows up.

And another problem is that I am more motivated than my real estate agent. I like to look mySELF!

Here's what I do. Go to www.ziprealty.com. You can list the kind of house you're looking for, and they'll send you an e-mail when one comes up that meets your criteria. They have a link on the website where you can look at the property on a map or in a satellite photo, and this really helps you decide if you're interested before you call an agent. They will also give you driving directions, so you can drive by without bothering with an agent.

Then, if you really want to see it, you can call the agent listed at the website or call another agent you like. (I have a friend at church who knows I'm a tire-kicker.)

[kalanamak]

and told him exactly what I wanted. He faxed my office any time something came that way, and I'd go out alone and drive the drive during rush hour, etc. get a feel for the neighborhood. I promised him we'd buy a house, but would walk with a hard sell. He only had to show us three, but it took 6 months. In the end, a couple looking at a house he'd not even bothered to show me told him what they were trying to move out of and it was perfect for us.