I guess that this type of situation has presented itself in various forms before in my short lived 10 year career as an active Realtor®.  Most often in the form of someone calling on one of our sign calls or entering an open house that I was hosting, asking questions and me answering them with accuracy and kindness.  However, my next question is probably typical for most of you "are you working with a Realtor®?"

I like business like the rest of my Active Rain Bretheren and Sisteren.  I want to close more deals than I did the quarter before.  However, I want to do it fairly.  You might be thinking there is no "fair" if these people are out looking without their agent, then they are free game.  I choose to disagree.  Who knows what sparks others to abandon their agent.  Maybe they are just looking and have exhausted their agent.  Maybe they were not even wanting to look at houses on this particular occasion.  It might be that they have been working with an agent for a long time.   He or she has invested a lot of time in showing them properties, answering their questions, e-mailing back and forth, put some of their soul into these clients.  It is my position that the only right thing to do is to defend their agents "absentee" position.

I know what someone out there is pondering.  Law Enforcement and "There is no I in team" concept does not belong in Real Estate.  Real Estate cannot even be compared with the brotherhood that Law Enforcement enjoys.  Again, I agree to disagree.

Here is where the title takes shape.  I have a referral arrangement with another agent from another Southern California City.  They had just referred me a couple that is wanting to buy in Santa Clarita.  Their home is listed with this agent with whom I have a referral arrangement.  I have taken out the couple and we have viewed homes, albeit a bit prematurely, but it is good to make the contact and see if we are a good fit for one another.  It was a good fit.

During our time together they told me about their parents that are needing to sell their home and relocate out here as well.  I called the agent with whom I have a referral system in place, and told them of what I was informed of.  It was explained to me that she knew this information and that she was going to be representing them.  Ok, good, no worries.

I received a call from the parents of this couple and they wanted to go look at homes.  So we did.  We hit it off and I was there's from hello.  After we spent more than 3 hours together, they asked if I sold homes in the area where their home was.  I replied yes.  They hinted around the suggestion that maybe I could list it.  I explained right out very clearly of my referral arrangement with this other agent and I would feel uncomfortable about swooping in and taking their listing.  They responded that they had not met this agent at this point they were just recommended to them by their children. 

Ok, this is wherein the question lies.  I did not swoop in.  I have no reservations about it.  I am not thinking that I could or should have handled it differently.

But was I too soft?  Should I have done more?  What would you have done?

Signed,

Maybe - Too SoftConnor MacIVOR with "bling"