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LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE

By Camille O'Donnell

Real Estate Agent with O'Donnell Properties

August 22, 2009 01:56 AM

Why does a listing agent who assured me she had done many short sales before lie?

As we headed into the process it was evident the listing agent did not know what she was doing. Not only did she fail to be conscientious, her communications were sloppy with me so I can imagine how they were with the lender. I was constantly after HER to check, check, double check and check again with the lender on new developments. On top of this she was overhwelmed with being the major caretaker of her mother, and other times she was in a hospital with her sister who was an addict and another time she was out West admitting her sister into a addiction recovery center. Now you tell me how in the world would a professional real estate agent ever be able to offer her client the best service-especially a short sale. I finally had to get her broker involved. Enough, was enough, and to date because of her mistakes we are still waiting to go to settlement. Thank God, my buyers are very understanding and patient. I recently got an email from her thanking me for all my help and she admitted that I was the driving force to get this short sale to closing. I don't mind helping, and I did sympathize with her family setbacks, but an agent needs to realize when they need help!

Please, please, please Agents- if you are experiencing major life events in your life, please ask for help or alert your broker. This is not fair to everybody involved in a real estate transaction.

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Brenda Mullen

RE/MAX Associates - San Antonio, TX

Your San Antonio TX Real Estate Agent!!

I agree with you completely. Sometimes people can get overwhelmed. You are lucky that you had some patients buyers with a short sale! I usually am not that lucky with short sale buyers. Most don't understand the lengthy process.

Good luck with your closing!

Aug 22, 2009 02:01 AM

Harry F. D'Elia III

WEDO Real Estate and Beyond, LLC - Phoenix, AZ

Investor , Mentor, GRI, Radio, CIPS, REOs, ABR

This is why I have obtained an experienced short sale expert on my team who has plenty of experience. That is real estate.

Aug 22, 2009 02:01 AM

Camille O'Donnell

O'Donnell Properties - Queenstown, MD

Brenda: You are right- my buyers are young and I am on the phone with them 4-5 times a week and many,many emails to keep them in the loop. I believe keeping them informed is half the battle on short sales.

Harry: There is nothing like having an expert to turn to in times of turmoil. Thanks for your response!

Aug 22, 2009 02:05 AM

Andrea Swiedler

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT

Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

Camille, people need to learn when to ask their colleagues for help. I don't know why anyone who didn't know what they were doing would ever claim to be an expert. Short sales are so complicated. And with those types of family problems, which can happen to anyone, the time to ask for help from her broker had come and gone right in the beginning of the process!

I think many people think that if they give up control, or admit they need help, or actually verbalize that they are in over their heads, is a huge sign of weakness. It is the opposite, but social pressure can often say otherwise.

Aug 22, 2009 02:12 AM

Camille O'Donnell

O'Donnell Properties - Queenstown, MD

Andrea, the sad part about it - I was readly available to complete some of the tasks involved and she never allowed me to help. It was evident her family problems were taxing her and on top of that she informed me she was a single mom with three kids. I am not bashing single moms- some are the best in the industry cause they are used to juggling a host of things really good- but you are right some people are not good at recognizing red flags if they are right in front of their face. And then againI have a couple of friends who have lived with disaster after disaster and seem to not be able to function unless they put themselves into a crisis. Go figure. But RE is not the place.

Aug 22, 2009 02:20 AM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Are you sure you want to talk about personal information about this other agent in such a public manner?

Aug 22, 2009 03:04 AM

Camille O'Donnell

O'Donnell Properties - Queenstown, MD

I am not divulging any personal information, I am sure there are thousands of agents who experience family setbacks. Did I mention their name, the city, the broker, the agency, the address, the listing, - no all I listed was a scenario. My point is that agents need to recognize when they are overloaded.

Aug 22, 2009 03:10 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Early on in ActiveRain an agent in my market was able to find exactly who was being bad mouthed on a real estate transaction via ActiveRain post and proved it to me. While I wondered WHY she was reading the other member in our market and even cared who he was bad mouthing... I got the point that the agent being bad mouthed would recognize himself in the public post... not that making it members only would have made much difference but at least Google would not carry the story forever. I think the point of her exercise was that he was breaking one or another of the ten commandment or maybe one of the NAR COE # thingies.

Aug 22, 2009 06:06 AM

Camille O'Donnell

O'Donnell Properties - Queenstown, MD

OH I see, next time I will say, "Let' say hypothetically that this happened and that happened" I guess that would be okay??? C'mon we do have freedom of speech, as a journalist I also have the right to be reporting the truth and that is never libel, which makes accuracy very important along with my sources.

Let's get back to what my point was ladies!! If you want to talk ethics start your own blog/post! But for whatever it's worth- thanks for making your point.

Aug 22, 2009 07:08 AM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

I understood the point of your post, and yes, I agree that when someone is overloaded they should ask for help. I just get a queezy feeling in my stomach when I see another real estate professional posting such personal information about another professional (even without identifying information) in such a public manner. Simply saying "The agent had personal issues and should have asked for help" without specifying the personal issues would have accomplished the same goal don't you think?

Please feel free to delete my comment if you wish. This is your blog - you do have the right to post whatever you wish.

Aug 23, 2009 12:38 AM

Camille O'Donnell

O'Donnell Properties - Queenstown, MD

I appreciate your insight, but maybe just maybe some agent can identify with my scenario with all its specifics and realize hey "This is me" and I should ask for help! Sometime being too vague continues to allow unprofessionalism like my scenario continue. There is nothing wrong with presenting the acts themselves. And why would I delete your comment- I love this dialogue- we are all allowed to express how we feel- we might just have to agree to disagree. I am all for cleaning up the industry so we don't have to insulted by the general public when some of our fellow agents cannot decipher when they are overloaded. Some people gravitate to situations like this- but not when your client is making the largest transaction ever!

With my background in politics-queezy feelings left me a long time ago and I am much to old to wobble. I will either stand or sit.

Aug 23, 2009 03:38 AM