I was surprised and appalled the other day when a buyer added a line to an addendum in the purchase and sale paperwork that stated that listing agent (me) would pay a certain amount towards the buyers closing fees. True, I was working both sides, without agency with the buyer as I already had established relationship with the seller (bank), but this deal was a very low end sale and the buyers request indeed would have exceeded what my net would have been. But don't they always think you are getting rich just on their deal...

I suppose the sums of money are not the concern, but the audacity of the buyer. This paperwork was sent to me on e-mail without any pre-warning about this added line. Nothing was brought up on any previous phone conversations. I had all kinds of ideas of a response, but luckily adviced with a colleague who was a bit calmer than I was.

My response on e-mail back to the client was that my wages are not part of the negotiations. That if the buyer and seller can come to terms on price and other detail is up to buyer and seller, but what the agent makes is not to be negotiated on this purchase and sale. I also sent the addendum to seller with the added line there, and also with the line scratched, asking them to initial the scratched addendum.

It was a good solution and went peacefully. Everybody accepted that I scratched the line from the purchase and sale addendum. I am still not getting rich on the sale. But I am wondering if this kind of expectations are getting more common. Maybe they are happening more in the very low price ranges. What are your experiences out there? Where are our customers getting these ideas?