Kaushik,

Absolutely feel your pain here.  This type of stuff happens all the time.  I don't know if they don't want you to get the commission money or if they are afraid you will know their personal financial situation.  The same thing just happened to me with my neighbor. No loyalty - anywhere...amazing isn't it?

As you said, we would have gotten them better deals, with better builders, etc.

Karen Monsour, Realtor, Fort Lauderdale, Fl 954-464-4194

'

I feel your pain, Kaushik - it's the same for me.  I have friends who have their houses on the market and guess what?  Yep - they don't need to be staged - they're fine the way they are.  Really?  I've seen their houses and YES they do need professional help!  Woe is me, what are we to do? - Calie

P.S.  I saw your business card over at Pita Jungle. Cool!

Feel your pain ... problem is  ... It is just too damn easy to get a license and when someone can make 10K or more buy selling a home to a friend many (that are unqualified) will enter this business ... it is a shame that we allow the un-skilled and un-qualified to assist people in such a large purchase.

Thanks for the post

Kaushik,

Breathe it's O.K. I know it sucks but thats the way it goes. You have to understand that people use who they feel comfortable with not necessarily the best qualified. A family memeber or friend can get alot of business with little or no experience if they're liked and trusted. There's enough business for all of us. There must have been a time when you were new and someone used you not because of your experience.

Mike Lewis

Doesn't EVERYONE have a friend or relative with a license? Your example is one of the biggest pains in the industry, unqualified people with a Real Estate License. We have all suffered as you have.

     I belive you should have INCLUDED, LONG REALTY COMPANY.

True - What gets my gall is that they use that friend and then ask you for advice when there are problems or questions that their friend cannot resolve.

After 31 years in the real estate business I have become accustomed to this sort of thing happening occasionally.  People sometimes just don't stop and think before they leap - it isn't that they intended to overlook you, Karen

It happens to all of us, your sphere needs to be constantly reminded that you are still there and you want their business.

Kaushik, Your title said it all.  I am on the mortgage side and I hear the same thing. I will go through my friend they do mortgage's on the side.  (I am sure they know all the updates within the industry)..lol

Well said...

Perhaps y'all should have a webpage like this on your site (applying to realtors & mortgage brokers of course)

Or at least have that type of information to pass to your friends, neighbors, potential clients.

Friends & Family

-

Kaushik,

Though fundamentally I agree with you, but if you step into buyer's shoes for a moment, and try to understand their thought process, you will be able to agree with why they go with friends even if they do not get the best bargains... most buyers (especially first time) have very little clue about how the real estate market works, and even less so about the how realtors / agents work...

so, think about it, if you are a new buyer, what gauge will you use to figure out whether a realtor is really good or not??

1. professionally qualified i.e. whether they have a license or not

2. trust: this is very acquaintance or friendship comes in place

In today's market, when you interview realtors, every realtor comes out to be extremely professional, helpful and polite (of course, every realtor desperately needs business right now, so they can not afford not to be profesional and polite), but there is no gauge even for experienced buyers to be 100% certain that the realtor that they choose is going to be a good one for them or not...  this bad market really separates the men from the boys, but an average home buyer is not qualified or sophisticated enough to make that difference..

so, my 2 cents: it's upto the realtors to make them really stand apart from the crowd (not just with promises but with hard numbers) and trust me, a lot of buyers would put their trust in the good realtors for sure than in their friends... dont blame the buyers, if they need guidance to be shown the right way.. and that guidance needs to come from the realtor community