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Things I Didn't Know I Had To Tell Clients.....But Do!

By Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner

Real Estate Agent with Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 BRE# 01494165

June 29, 2011 08:17 AM

I read a great featured post today by Mike Cooper: Somebody Broke In and Painted My Listing!! Maybe you read it too? About a buyer whose agent gave them permission to go ahead and start painting before the close? Wow! Trouble is, that I've had these clients...have you? It brought back memories and I realized I had quite a list of things I didn't think I needed to tell clients....but did.

Do not make repairs to a home you do not own yet
Do not remove the sink in the guest bathroom before you move because "you really like it"
Do not call the buyers and invite them for dinner before the close...where you talk about the problems you've had with the neighbor's kids
Do not go out-of-town during the last week of escrow and forget to leave a key
Do not move out and allow your nephew and his friends to "use" the place until the close
Do not leave a pit bull in the house for showing (oh, he's friendly)
Do not tell the sellers that you would do "anything" to live in that neighborhood
Do not bring your dog to showings
Do not let yourself into a home and show it to your mom
Do not have a pool party in a vacant home because it's "almost yours" (yep, a listing of mine the buyers had a pool party the weekend before we closed)

These seem like things you would not need to tell someone....but as I keep learning, you never know what people will do.

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Ed Gillespie

WealthWise Mortgage Planning, a Division of American Pacific Mortgage Corporation NMLS #1850 - Folsom, CA

Hilarious, telling and sad....all rolled into one post. Amazing in a not good way!

Jun 30, 2011 01:41 PM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Karen -- Are you kidding? A pool party before closing? You just can't make this stuff up! Unbelievable.

Jun 30, 2011 01:57 PM

Kristi DeFazio

RE/MAX Advantage - Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs Rea lEstate 719-459-5468

Love it! I have had buyers look over my shoulder and memorize the code and then found out they went in without me! Yikes!

Jun 30, 2011 02:03 PM

Joy Daniels

Joy Daniels Real Estate Group, Ltd. - Harrisburg, PA

I like your list - thank you! :) I like #5 - good one to remember!

Jun 30, 2011 02:28 PM

Stephanie Leon | Miami Lakes Realtor®

Realty Empire Incorporated - Miami Lakes, FL

Turning For Sale Into SOLD!

This is a great list. So, funny and so true.... I can relate to the party.....

Jun 30, 2011 02:34 PM

Donald Reich

Madison Specs - New Rochelle, NY

Cost Segregation Specialist

Karen - great post! I have been doing this long enough for nothing to surprise me anymore!!

Jun 30, 2011 02:50 PM

Lizette Fitzpatrick

Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY

Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

These things do sound funny but some times we just assume that people know what they are doing or not!

Jun 30, 2011 03:23 PM

Vince McEveety

Gilleran Griffin Realty - Sherman Oaks, CA

great post... have you heard the one about the agent (my first broker) who went a weekend before close to pick up the extra keys and collect the junk mail... he entered through the garage and was met at the door by the buyer in a bathrobe holding a cup of coffee.... they had already moved in completely!

chuckles ensue

cheers,

Jun 30, 2011 04:21 PM

Gary Frimann, CRS, GRI, SRES

Eagle Ridge Realty / Signature Homes & Estates - Gilroy, CA

REALTOR and Broker

Karen, so glad I am not the only one who had a buyer have a pool party at their "new" despite the fact that escrow was closing in about a week. I was feeling awfully alone there. This buyer's agent had loaned the lockbox key to the buyer so they could have a pool party!

Jun 30, 2011 05:41 PM

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate

John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR

"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

Hi, Karen--look at you miss Feature and you didn't even mention how fabulous YOU are on my blogpost --very humble of you! I really like this...was trying to come up with my own shocking story of a boo boo that someone did, but the only one I came up with is the seller (whom I represented) had the electricity turned off just as the buyers (whom I also represented) were supposed to move ina and were headed into the weekend and it was December--needless to say, they couldn't get the electricity on til Monday and it was a wicked winter...so they asked me if I could fill their woodstove for the weekend to keep the home from freezing....so I DID. I never got to tell that d**ned seller what I thought of HIM, because by then he was back in SUNNY CALIFORNIA!

The P.S. to this is that the buyers are great friends of mine now!

Jun 30, 2011 07:45 PM

Mike Mayer

Mike Mayer, Broker/Owner - i List For Less Realty, LLC - Lafayette, LA

I recall a story about buyers who managed to access a vacant property they were within a week of closing on. They managed to convince a local locksmith to make a key and open the entrance door and attempted to begin moving in prior to closing!

Jun 30, 2011 08:21 PM

Keith Lawrence

Christie's International - Mahwah, NJ

ABR, SFR

I read that blog about the buyers painting the house before closing. What libility the buyers agent put on themselves.

I like the one on the pool party prior to closing.

Jul 01, 2011 12:58 AM

Robin Scott

Robin Scott, REALTOR® - Austin, TX

Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas

Wow! My question would be "how did the buyer get access to the property before closing?"

Jul 01, 2011 03:00 AM

J. Philip Faranda

Howard Hanna Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY

Associate Broker / Office Manager

I've had a huge number of those things happen. Probably all in one way shape or form.

This really illustrates why brokerage is SO necessary, even if technology advances tenfold. People will always be themselves.

Jul 01, 2011 03:29 AM

Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner

Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA

Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Ed: sometimes you just have to laugh

Barbara: Yep...they expected to close Friday and had it planned, figured it was OK

Kristi: Yeah, it's a horrible feeling...which is why combos are so bad

Joy: Words to live by, really

Stephanie: I couldn't believe it

Donald: It's all funny, but then it's amazing what people will do

Erica: Me too....I think it's more common that we all realize

Lizette: We assume that everyone is going to act like adults, and they don't

Vince: That's just amazing....I think on some level the buyers don't know what we do....this is all pretty iffy right now.

Gary: Who has a party at a vacant home? it's just nuts

Gayle: :)...That's horrible of those sellers! That's another great post, rotton things that buyers and sellers do, but might be too sad to talk about

Mike: It seems to be more common than any of us think

Keith: Well they were very liable for damages..the pool party is awful, what if someone had been hurt? the sellers are responsible for that, would be a horrible mess.

Erica: I showed up once to give keys to a buyer to find they had managed to get in and were already painting. YOU should have known better lol

Robin: Combo lock and they just saw what it was

Philip: So true....could you imagine if all these people were trying to manage this on their own?

Jul 01, 2011 03:46 AM

Ann Allen Hoover

RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL

CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

Hi Karen! I think we need a contest to see who can come up with the craziest things clients ever did!

I had forgotten about it, but this brought back a memory of a pool party my teenage brother-in-law had while his parents were out of town. We had no idea it was going on and showed up to check on things......and found those maniacs jumping off the roof of the covered deck into the pool!

Jul 02, 2011 04:13 AM

Karen Kruschka

RE/MAX Executives - Woodbridge, VA

- "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"

Karen Do not dig up plants and shrubs that you plan to take a few days before closing and do not terminate the utilities before closing - in VA they must be on for the walkthrough

Jul 02, 2011 07:12 AM

Tim Peterson

Wisconsin Realtor Safety and Concealed Carry Classes - Madison, WI

Realtor Safety Training Classes

Hi Karen love the list-especially the pit bulss--well maybe take them along everywhere--too cute

Jul 05, 2011 02:23 PM

Kathy Streib

Cypress, TX

Home Stager/Redesign

Karen- I bet many could add to the list. How about don't start work on the dock that isn't yet yours and use the electricity and water that is also not yet yours.

Jul 06, 2011 01:50 PM

David Shamansky

US Mortgages - David Shamansky - Highlands Ranch, CO

Creative, Aggressive & 560 FICO - OK, Colorado Mtg

I just saw this and it is a riot! The one thing you can say about common sense is it doesnt seem as common these days!!! lol

Thanks for the continual good reads and have a great rest of your week!

Jul 07, 2011 09:08 AM