Do agents realize that they are "steering" buyers away from short sales?
Repeatedly I read posts online and have had conversations with buyers where they say, "My agent said to stay away from short sales" or "my agent won't show me any short sales". As a real estate agent I list and sell residential properties only and I do not handle commercial real estate. If my telephone rings or I receive an email from a buyer or seller interested in commercial real estate, I refer them to an agent who handles commercial real estate. I don't steer them away from commercial properties. I am not a commercial real estate agent nor do I play one on tv. It amazes me that an agent who does not handle short sales, is intentionally steering a buyer away from short sales instead of referring them to an agent who does handle short sales.
I know sometimes a short sale isn't in a buyer's best interest for various reasons but in this post, I'm referring to an agent who is blatantly and intentionally steering buyers away from short sales by telling them to stay away from short sales or refuses to show them short sales, not because its not in the buyer's best interest but because the agent either lacks knowledge of short sales or simply doesn't handle them.
"Steering is the channeling of homeseekers either to or from particular areas on the basis of race, religion, country of origin, or other protected class" (Essentials of New Jersey Real Estate, Ninth Edition). Short sales sellers may not legally be defined as a "protected class" but channeling homeseekers a/k/a homebuyers away from short sales sure looks like steering to me.
Hey, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck....
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