All the time I tell myself I'm not going back in that group, I'm not going back in that group, but it's like a train wreck, I have to look. An agent pops in a bar raising or masterminding group and posts a question with specific details about an on going transaction and my eyes widen like saucers. Then, and it ALWAYS happens, the advice starts flooding in for them.
There are specific questions about procedures, commissions, contracts and I it always gives me a knot in my stomach to see the bad and sometimes illegal advice filling those threads. Recently there was a question about if an offer should be presented or not (and it was not written as a hypothetical in case you are wondering), it gave the list price, the offer price and said no pre-approval accompanied it and asked opinions as to if it should be presented. WHAT?
I can't speak intelligently about real estate law for 49 states or any other country, but I can tell you that in Georgia if you are delivered an offer in writing it is the law it MUST be presented to the seller. The seller of course does not have to counter or proceed with negotiations, but with my advice it is always their call. I can't make a random rule and tell other agents that their offer will not be presented because it doesn't have a pre-approval letter. Yet I saw that same advice over and over again, "Don't present" "Tell agent you won't present without it" "It's not a complete offer without it". It made my head spin.
So does this make me anti- real estate forums on line for agents across state lines to be sharing information? Oh heck no. I obviously am a member of such groups or I couldn't see what is or isn't there on any given day. And talking about tools and tips and products and vendors is wonderful. You get to have opinions before you commit and spend your money. Those groups are great for that.
But brokers are responsible for the actions of the licensees under them in Georgia. If one of my agents were to be on line talking specifics about on going negotiations, policy, commission or about personal information about clients they would immediately be warned. If it happened more than once, they would be fired. It's all spelled out in my policy and procedures manual. A "living" document that has to constantly grow to keep up with technology.
So what's my advice in all of this? Go to work for a broker that is there for you. Someone who knows the law, is willing to assist when you have a new situation and offers some training. If you are currently working without this as an agent, I advise making a change. Further, don't betray the confidence of client by putting information about a current deal on Facebook or in a blog post. If you do feel a need to write about a unique situation (after the deal) you should change enough information that if the people you are talking about read it they would not know for certain it was them. Be smart. Be careful.
If you are a broker, you should have policies in place where you agents know better. It is part of our job to protect our clients, after all they are clients of the brokerage, not of the agent. If you don't have a written policy in place I suggest making one. I also suggest letting your agents know that following advise from other agents at a different firm or in a different state might not be the best idea. If you are not personally available to your agents I hope you have managing brokers in place that are available to them.
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