Illiterate or Unethical? Your Opinions Please
by Michelle C. Carr-Crowe and the Get RE$ult$ Team, Your San Jose Saratoga Lynbrook & Cupertino Schools Experts
I have an Exclusive listing with a For Sale sign and flyer box on the property with my phone number and three sign riders, “Exclusive,” “Coming Soon” and “Do Not Disturb Occupants.” Knowing this, please read the following blog and give me your opinion please.
Two weeks ago I received a sign call from a buyer asking about the home, price and when it could be seen. I told him it’s not yet available as it is rented through the end of the month and price will be set after tenant leaves, but somewhere in the low $700,000’s. A few minutes later there was another call, this time from an agent, I said the same thing. (FYI, there did not seem to be a communication or language barrier of any kind.)
Now I told both of them that the owner is open to selling it pre-MLS but they’d need to write the offer first and make it “subject to inspection.” If I receive a written offer, I’ll present to the Seller and if acceptable, the Seller would make sure buyer could get in to see the home even during the rental period.
Last week I receive a call from my client saying he received a call (and an e-mail!) from an agent who claimed he’d “been trying to reach me for a week.” (Same agent as above.)
I called the agent, and politely asked what did he want to know that I hadn’t already told him. “Um, well, the price and when we can see it.”
Lather, rinse, repeat of paragraph 4.
This afternoon, I get an email from same agent with same spiel, “I haven’t heard back from you and my client wants to know the price.”
Lather, rinse, repeat of paragraph 4 again via email. FYI, I responded back in 4 minutes.
Imagine my surprise to get a call from my Seller saying the same agent called (and yes, e-mailed!) at about this same time, and again said he hadn’t heard back from me, and what is the price and when can they see it.
I was well lathered up by this time.
I called and asked, “Why are you calling my client?”
“Well, I hadn’t heard back from you…”
(Me interrupting) “You sent an email and I responded 4 minutes later!”
“Oh, I mean from last week…”
(Me interrupting) “Don’t you remember we talked extensively last week about the home, and the renters’ family situation?”
“Well, my client wants to know the price…”
Lather, rinse, repeat of paragraph 4 AGAIN.
So I sent an email spelling it out and requesting a “read” receipt. No response yet. This home is NOT yet posted on MLS. Most non-owner-occupied homes don’t publish the owner’s phone numbers and there isn’t even a place on our MLS to put an email address for the client.
I included the same info in paragraph 4 along with the following:
Do not call or e-mail my clients. It is inappropriate. Their information is not published anywhere so for you to pursue them in this way is an invasion of their privacy and makes them very uncomfortable…They hired me so they could specifically avoid dealing directly with buyers or buyer agents. Even when a home is on the open market, it would be strange for a seller to receive an unsolicited email from a buyer agent.
Please send an acknowledgement of receipt so that I know you did get this information today, even though we've now covered these same items on the phone.
Kindly forward this information to your client and confirm your receipt. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and we will be very interested to see your written offer.
So please, is it me? My (and my clients’ impression) was that the agent acted like he was chasing down a for sale by owner (or at the very least trying to solicit and obtain inside information with his surprise attack tactics).
I look forward to your vote:
Illiterate…
Or…
Unethical...
Comments(7)