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Isn't RedFin a tuna?

This past Monday morning I was sitting on my adjustable, vibrating, craftmatic, temperpedic bed enjoying my morning coffee with breakfast (toast), that TLW delivers to me every morning, "working" on ActiveRain, when my phone rang. "Good morning Tutas Towne Realty, this is Broker Bryant your local sooooooooooo good looking area Real Estate expert, how can I help you on this beautiful sunny Florida morning?" Well, maybe I didn't say EXACTLY that, but it was close. Anyway, a very pleasant lady on the other end starts asking me about one of my listings. She said she was a Buyer, so I answered her questions about my listing and then asked her if she was working with a Realtor. "Yes, I am, and I'm just helping her out today" Then she started asking me about a few of my other listings and wanted to know if they were vacant or Seller occupied. I politely told her I couldn't give her this info, but, please have your Realtor give me a call.

Well, I guess she didn't hear me because then she asked me if the properties were on electronic lox boxes or did she need a code. She wanted to look at them between 12:00 and 1:00. I asked her again if she was a Realtor, because I thought maybe I had misunderstood her. After all, she was very good at asking for showing instructions, polite, informed, clear speaking and very precise with her questions and her showing times. But nope, she confirmed again she was a Buyer and was just helping her Realtor out. I eventually managed to get it through to her that I could not give her this information and that she really needed to have her Realtor give me call. She finally understood and hung up. I never did get a call from her Realtor.

So what do you think? Overzealous buyer? Redfin? ZipRealty? Is this the way of the future? If we are giving you back a commission rebate then you need to arrange your own property showings?

Whatever it was, I adjusted my bed upward and cut on Regis and Kelly. I hope I didn't miss a sale. "Hunnee? Can you bring me another piece of toast? And some tuna?"

BTW, I EAT TUNA FOR LUNCH:)

Posted by Bryant Tutas Broker/REALTOR(R) Tutas Towne Realty, Inc on 12/14/2006 05:20 PM

Comments (22)

redfin, commission rebates, opinion

22 Comments on Isn't RedFin a tuna?

DEC

2006

Reserved Parking For #1 "The Lovely Wife"...TLW...ROAR!

Darlin' (Broker Bryant) Cat Food Baby...Cat Food. ROAR!

I know...Your soooooo good looking! Hubba! Bubba!

What would you like with your Tuna. How about some bird crap soup?

Or how about me? I Am Woman Hear Me ROAR!

TLW "The Lovely Wife"...Be A Sport Hun Call Her Back And Give Her The Codes...ROAR!

Ah-ha, NOW I know what breakfast for BB really is!! ;-)

Wouldn't you just love to know who that lady really was and what she was up to? Why the interest in whether those properties were vacant or not? And asking you how to get into them? Are there really agents out there who give unaccompanied buyers the means to access properties without their agents with them?? Wonder how sellers would like knowing that happens?

Ann

I can't believe I am getting the second* box!!! I am sooo excited...BB, you shouldn't be eating toast in bed...too many crumbs!

As far as I can tell from what you described you were dealing with the overzealous buyer... your instincts obviously told you this wasn't just an ordinary buyer. If she really does have a realtor, which I am hoping that she does...they'd better get hustling for this lady or she'll be finding someone who CAN help her. It is truly amazing how Realtors "train" their clients! Since I work mostly with buyers I know that it takes a little bit of time and effort to make sure they know the 'rules of engagement' --- since you don't like to work with buyers, her realtor got lucky that you didn't just scoop her up! I'm gonna bet that her realtor calls you on Friday... probably about 3pm.

* honest...it was the second box when I started... must learn to type faster

BB: So that's why you don't always show up for coffee--waaay better environment at home! Y'know Bryant, it may just be your openning greeting that made "Buyer" a little vague about her true identity!

Jay

Well I guess that was an interesting way to start out your day! Probably asked if they were vacant because she would go into them for sure. If they were occupied still, she might chance walking in on someone and having to explain. That's my take anyways. So toast served to you in bed. . .hummm pretty good deal going on.

Geez, and I thought this was going to have something to do with Jessica Simpson.

Thanks Jay

BB....toast in bed..why no GRITS ?? LOL!

We get weird "I'm just helping my realtor" calls fairly often. I WANT to say, "Maybe you should find another realtor!"

Ann asked, "Are there really agents out there who give unaccompanied buyers the means to access properties without their agents with them??" I know for a fact it happens. AN agent in our office was showing a house and someone showed up fumbling with a lockbox key. The guy admitted his agent "loaned" him her lockbox key!

Our MLS changed their password regulations because too many agents were giving CLIENTS their MLS passwords so the CLIENT could search the MLS!!

I say these agents should be drawn and quartered.

I'd comment, but everyone would get pissed.

We've been on the client end of that. Relo, agent provided by the company. Gave us a copy of the MLS book, had us set up our own showings, and then told us to handle the contract negotiations since we were better at that. Unfortunately we were stuck with this agent. Scary what some people get away with.

Jay Thompson, I know that happens in our area as well. Giving out electronic keys and MLS codes happens more times than I would like to think. I don't know if there is a way to stop it completely. And that's a shame.

When it JDLR or JDSR, it isn't.

While she may have been with the companies you mention, the question is WHY? It seems like a lot of trouble for WHAT?

My radar always goes off when something like this comes up and I believe it can be one of two things:

1) Some dopey wannabe Investor. But it begs the question.......WHY would she want access? If she were a real investor, she would have cut to the chase.

2) She was setting you up; big time.....a front for thieves to gain access to homes. Depending on your list of occupied or unoccupied, the proper guys would go and clean out, literally, the houses........copper, fixtures, etc. If occupied, send the fake moving van and clean out their stuff.

The time to tour is a dodge to get the two bits of info, access and status, they need.

My vote goes with Door Number 2

I would check the caller ID and report the number and the call content to the authorities.

<I'd comment but everyone would get pissed>...LMAO...

Sorry Stan. Ya gotta admit that was pretty funny. :) TLW...ROAR!

LOL I liked Rich's comment and also the one about Jessica Simpson lmao Hiya Bryant! I think this was a strange call at the very least! And considering the time of year, could have been a set up; how dumb do they think a Realtor® will be? They certainly didn't know who they would be dealing with! LOL

As for being overzealous, well, when I lived in Maryland and was in my 30s I knocked on this one guys door about every four months: 'HI, I was wondering if you decided to sell your house yet because I REALLY want to live here." He was always polite which in retrospect, I am not sure why! But asking for codes? Whooo And btw, I'm expecting you to be back in the saddle by tomorrow ya hear? :=)

DEC

2006

To me it sounds as though it was someone fishing for access to rob the property. I have to agree with Stan. I would also let the authority's know. You might just save someone's property. I know you are smart enough not to give them that information, but someone probably will.

Not sure what to make of this lady. Commission rebate or robbery? good questions. I think that after reading this I would now ask WHO their realtor is as well.. just to see if they could come up with a valid name quickly. Maybe just a nosey neighbor wanting to know price and check out the house?

Funny how this market brings out all the crazies. This reminds me of how I had to start hiding the supra-electronic lockbox, so people HAD to call me for showing intructions. Also, I've noticed business cards in the houses that dont match the info I see online from the supra key.. (i.e. suprakey onwer is not the realtor that left the card).

In my opinion, this was totally about casing places for robbery. Asking if people are living there or not, if there are lock boxes, etc.? No question. There have been several reported major appliance thefts lately on the north side of Chicago in yet-to-be-occupied developments. If you have caller ID, I'd note it if you ever get another call like this, it might come in handy for the police report when you find one of the places has been hit and is now sans refrigerator, range, microwave and dishwasher. It was creative of her to call - they could just do a drive by of places with signs out front a few days in a row to know if people are actually living there, but I guess thieves today are getting more efficient, weeding out the best prospects before they pull up with the truck! No doubt she was asking about places (if she saw them on the internet somewhere) that the photos showed some decent things in.

I'm glad I mostly deal with relatively secure, high rise buildings when I'm dealing with homes!

Sounds like a scammer to me. There are a lot of them out there and most agents would have made the mistake as to give hear all of the info she needed to decide which one to rob.

DEC

2006

Maybe I'm naive, but I think everyone is a bit too paranoid. If I'm a thief looking for vacant homes, I could easily find that out by looking at the pictures online. I wouldn't take the chance of leaving a trail with caller ID. What if Bryant agreed to meet her there between 12 and 1? What if he asked her for the name of her Realtor?

Sometimes a buyer will say they have an agent just to avoid the listing agent from trying to get them as a client. Think about going to an open house and saying that you don't have an agent yet. Most agents start their sales engines full throttle. If instead you state that you've been working with an agent, most listing agents will leave you alone.