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"Wow, I didn't know it worked like that!" "Thanks for telling me, because I had no idea!" "Really, one agent can show me all of the homes I want to see?"
I hear these exclamations time and time again. I'm writing this to educate the consumer on how things work in the home buying arena. Here, in Texas, we operate in a couple of different roles as agents. We either represent the Seller as the seller's agent (listing agent) or we represent the Buyer as the buyer's agent. There are times when the Broker has a listing that one of their agents sells to a buyer that they are representing. When this happens, then an intermediary relationship is formed and both parties must agree to it in writing or locate another Broker to represent them.
Now, on to home buying etiquette. This is what us Brokers/Agents expect from the buyers that we represent. When you choose to have an agent represent you, it's always a good idea to sign a written contract with them to clarify. This doesn't mean you are signing your life away, but simply let's everyone know where they stand.
We understand that buying a home is a huge undertaking and so exciting. Most of us have been there ourselves and have our own experiences to draw from. Please don't get ahead of us. There is a method to our madness and we know the process of how to go about getting it done properly. Yes, it's fun to drive around and look at homes. (It's fun for us too.) Please, please, please leave the home showings to us. If you decide you want to go out and drive around, that's great. Get familiar with the areas you want to be in and the different subdivisions. But, when it comes time to see the home or even to get more information on a home you pass by, call YOUR agent first. Most agents who have been selling homes long enough will ask the question before they ever show up to show a home: "Are you working with an agent?" Please be honest. We do have lives and families outside of our careers and most of us would jump at the prospect of selling one of our listings. I'm sure you can understand how we might feel though if we spend the time (and gas) showing you our homes and then a contract comes from another agent with your name on it.
Another example of bad manners would be the following...Yes, I would love for you to help me buy a home, but would you pay for some of my closing costs with your commission? Or, yes, I need to sell my home, but XYZ Real Estate company will give me a rebate if I let them list it. Tell me, how would you feel if your boss were to come to you and ask for some of your paycheck back. I'm sure the same way we feel when approached with these types of questions. For those of us who do this as a full time career, this IS our paycheck. Would you ask your neurosurgeon for a discount on surgery when you need his services and you know that he is the leading expert in his field? Much like Doctors, we have gone to school and studied to be in this profession. We have had to sit for our own "bar" so to speak. We have to educate ourselves continually and stay on top of the market trends in order to represent our clients in the best way possible. While these are not life and death decisions that are made, they are life decisions that will impact you for many years to come or for however long you decide to keep your home.
This next example is one that has affected me twice in my career and was really eye opening. I had some buyers that I was working with. We went out for a couple of months looking at homes. We had lunches and dinners together and had just a great time. We developed a really nice rapport. We finally found "the one". We placed an offer on the property. We received a counter offer from the seller's listing agent. Suddenly, they won't return my phone calls. When I finally reach them, they have changed their mind and decided to wait to buy a home. Next thing you know the property has a contract on it. It closes. I'm driving through the neighborhood one day and lo and behold, I see their mustang parked at that same property. I go back and look at the tax records and sure enough, they bought the property. When I called the listing agent to question her about it, she suddenly has an attorney calling me back. She knew what she did was wrong and so did the buyers. They went directly to the listing agent and she rebated them some of her commission for closing costs if they would use her. This was something that I could have pursued, but the broker I was working for at the time, chose not to for their own reasons. It is definitely a violation of the code of ethics we subscribe to and just not nice.
These are just a few examples of not so good conduct I have ran in to over the years. We want to be the perfect Realtor and we really would like to have the perfect client. It isn't always a marriage made in heaven, but please understand we do our best and we would like the same consideration we give to our customers and clients. Thus endeth my sermon. If you should have any questions or need any help with your real estate ventures, I'm only a phone call, email, twitter or text away.
