Home : Blogs : Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector : Russel's blog

Is there a way out of this nightmare?

If you leave a comment, Russel will visit your blog and comment. I received a question today at my All Experts email that I think is very relevant to many of us here at ActiveRain. I have not answered this question yet, preferring instead to first find out which state she is in. Here's the question as received (no editing changes for grammar or spelling):

Hello, I have recently put my home on the market with a pretty large real estate agency and it has been a terrible experiance thus far. The company took a week to put the for sale sign in my yard and whenever I call with questons my realtor is never available and doesn't call me back so I have been gettin my questions answered by a secretary. I have had potential buyers knock on my door to view the property and say they tried to call and set up an appointment with the company but no one would answer the phone or return the call after several attemps.

I was told Buyers had to go thru the agency to view but if they won't answer the phone I miss buyers and I might as well be selling the home myself. I am under a contract with this company and do not feel comfortable paying 6% if I have to sell the home myself. Is there a way out of this nightmare?

Comments?

**********

Fifteen most recent posts

Need help with marketing? Join the Guerrilla Marketing Tactics Group.

Inspired by nature? Join the Inspired By Nature Group.

Classical music lover? Join the Classical Music Group.

Want to share a good book? Join the Active Rain Book Club.

Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector on 08/22/2009 09:12 PM

Comments (12)

Realtors in the ActiveRain Channel

realtor relations

Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: Buyer Information - What Buyers Need to Know in Today's Market
Post is included in group: Advice for Sellers
Post is included in group: Addicted to Active Rain

12 Comments on Is there a way out of this nightmare?

AUG

Yes, - first call the broker of the company and 1) asked to be assigned to a DIFFERENT agent! or 2) Tell the broker you want a release from the contract IMMEDIATELY!

Yes. Refer any buyers knocking at the door to a good buyer's agent to get that appointment set for a showing.

And what Joan said. :) Call broker - Reassign or release!

Russell, I have to Ditto Joan's advice. I was going to type the same thing but she beat me to it. They are in a binding contract but in our area if a client is unhappy they are typically let of out of the contract.

Don't bother to ask for a different agent. Tell the BIC you want an immediate release. Explain it is best for you to get the home sold and moved or you will be talk to anyone that will listen about the experience.

Ahhhhh...in the infamous words of Donald Trump.......YOU'RE FIRED!

I'm pretty sure in her listing agreement it spells out the duties of the BROKER as well as the duties of the SELLER. Sounds to me like BROKER is not doing his/her job.

Cut your losses and move to someone that is going to work for YOU!

I think those before me have answered the question perfectly. Doesn't matter what state they are in.

What a shame - this really gives us all a bad image. I hope she can get out of her contract and find a better company to work with.

Yep, Joan nailed it first answer. Terminate contract due to lack of performance and they do a better job interviewing agents and getting references in the future. BIG isn't always better either.

AUG

Russell:

I wonder how much research she did before hiring that agent. There is so much information available now. She needs to get onto the internet and look at profiles of individual agents, read their blogs if have them and see what other people say about them. But, first, she should demand to be out of that contract and shame on any broker, owner who doesn't let her out in the face of her valid complaints.

Hey, Joan - Thanks for those two options. It sounds to me like she's lost all confidence in the company, too, but that, of course, is why the broker is the broker. S/he might be able to save the contract for his company.

Hey, Candice - Thanks. If she doesn't have a good broker herself, though, I wonder how she's going to recommend a good buyer's agent.

Hey, Marchel - I had a difficult sale back in 2001 and the broker didn't let me out of my contract nor did he reassign me to another agent. He said basically, "You have a legal contract here." That was real helpful. So I was determined to let the property sit out the contract since I didn't have to sell and holding on to the property would not cause me any financial hardship. Ultimately, my agent reduced her commission to 1½% and the buyer's agent paid that out of his 3% commission. They both still made off with over $10,000 in commissions.

Hey, John - In this day and age, it's very easy to start a web site "telling the rest of the story." A few good hyperlocal blogs about an agent or company....

Hey, Thom - "You're fired!" Powerful words.

Hey, Andrea - I know it doesn't matter what state they are in, but my purpose in asking her is perhaps to be able to refer her to an ActiveRain member.

Hey, Georgina - This is one of those bad apples.

Hey, Tammy - It is amazing, though, how many people will choose BIG over doing their own due diligence.

Hey, Claudette - I'm actually hoping that if she'll tell me what state she is in, I might be able to refer her to an ActiveRain member.

Ditto, ditto, ditto. Fire them and move on.

Russel: That's a two word response. FIRE THEM. These are the agents that give us all a bad name.

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?