... can go a long way to protecting your client(s)' best interest, even if the scenario presents a challenge.

One of my listings had two viewing by the same party earlier today. In both viewings, the buyer's agent provided the most advance notice she could, and my clients acted consistent with someone who wants to sell the house, and made it readily available.

The second showing time-wise was a long one, as anyone would expect. Everything seemed to be heading towards a favorable situation for my clients, and they were cautiously optimistic. 

However...

I got a call from the buyer's agent and her tone was quite different than it had been earlier in the day. As we spoke, it became evident that she really did not want to say what she had to say. The offer was an extremely low offer. She chose not to write it up at all, but let me know the parameters so that I could advise my clients. I have to say that I really appreciated the phone call, rather than an email with such a ridiculous offer. Had I presented that to my clients in written form, their response would have been quite different. They were able to simply decline with no counter.

By choosing her course, the buying agent did a great job protecting her clients from offending my sellers, and left open the door for a more realistic offer if her clients are so inclined. Further, my clients have no idea who the prospective buyers are, and will not have a negative reaction to their names and signatures being on that offer if it comes.

Bottom line, as agents, we have all had to communicate or present knowingly low offers to other agents or clients. Today, however, pointed out that each of has a choice how we do it, and that putting the "long-term" interests of our client(s) first is paramount to preventing an adversarial encounter down the road.