Deserve to Be Paid? Maybe

Did you ever buy a gallon of milk at Winn Dixie only to find that the person behind the register was working for Krogers?  How about calling up Ace Hardware and asking how much are nails at True Value hardware store on the corner of Fifth and Main?  Crazy right?  But that’s exactly what happens in the real estate business.  

Do you ever think about how much the guy at Krogers  earns for double bagging your canned goods without asking? When you made the gentleman at True Value show you every sized nail in the store and walked out without purchasing anything you probably knew that guy was being paid regardless.  But this is exactly what doesn’t happen in the real estate business.  If a Realtor doesn’t sell a house he or she doesn’t get paid.

One of my fellow Realtors called me last week looking for my opinion on a transaction that they were certain deserved a paycheck but didn’t receive one.  This is one of the best agents in my market place and deserves to be paid for what they do  just not on this home.  Unlike our friends at the retail stores mentioned above we as Realtors have to secure a willing, ready, and able buyer and see it through to the closing table.

This agent’s former clients weren’t ready to purchase when the agent was ready to sell and found a Realtor three months later that stayed with them all the way through.  I asked the agent if they had an agreement signed with the buyer and I was told “In twenty five years of being in this business I have  never used one of them”.

As I see it it only takes one time to get burned. If you don’t take the time to explain to your clients how you get paid ,make them understand how it benefits them and take the precautions to secure the earnings you deserve then you really shouldn’t complain.

Consumers are not members of the National Association of Realtors and don’t have to abide by the Code of Ethics or cooperation rules of the various MLS systems.  They just want to buy a home and don’t care about the details of the Realtors getting paid  just like I don’t care if the bagger at Winn Dixie got a raise this month or not.   With all of this being said remember, it’s a good life.