Seriously, if you don't trust me, why waste both our time?

Every agent that I know has the same story: you work with a buyer for a long, long time, and then all of a sudden, out of the blue, you get the "Dear John" letter that they've bought a home with someone else.

I've been on the positive and the negative side of that, but either way, I just don't get it.

I educate my buyers up front about how I work.  Do I use a Buyer Broker agreement?  No, not usually.  Most of the time I trust my buyers and they trust me. I am a licensed attorney and practiced 10 years before becoming a full time Realtor.  I understand the need for contractual commitments.  Still, Buyer Broker agreements don't settle well for me.  If someone doesn't want to work with me and I don't want to work with them, why bother?

Still, I get burned every once in awhile and I always question why I didn't use a Buyer Broker Agreement.

Case in point:  I worked with this couple who could afford very little, for about a year. The husband wanted north San Diego County but the wife wanted south San Diego County (about a 45 minute distance difference). I patiently showed them properties in both areas, always meeting them whenever convenient for them.  I listened to the wife complain how her husband wants to keep her in the suburbs while she wanted to be closer to the City.  I worked really hard for the both of them while they figued out what they should do.

I worked with them for a long time until they finally told me that they would wait to figure out where they wanted to be.  Then, they said, they would start looking again.

Agents, you know the rest....I got an "unsubscribe" email from them from the property listings that I had been sending them.  I contacted them since I just knew this had to be a mistake.  Apparantly it wasn't.  They found something they liked and bought it with another agent.  Of course they "appreciated my help" when I asked what happened.

This kind of situation makes me rethink my "trust" issue when it comes to buyers and a Buyer-Broker agreement.  My problem is that I don't really want to work with someone who doesn't respect the time and commitment that I give them.  I have learned to educate my buyers up front, and I rarely have an issue with a buyer just throwing me aside, but it certainly doesn't make it easier when it happens.

So....buyers:

If you work with an agent, realize that the time and energy they give you is all theirs.  They don't get paid for it.  We could be focusing on clients who understand and appreciate what we have to offer.  Or maybe, instead of showing property to you, we could instead relax and spend time with our families.

If you know that you don't want to work with the agent, let them know immediately so they don't use their valuable time helping you when they could help someone who values their work.

Have the decency to discuss any issues you may have with the agent to see if they can be worked out.

And....if this doesn't work....either communicate with them that you don't want to work with them OR ask to sign a Buyer-Broker agreement to commit both of you.

Thanks!

Deb