Many Realtors offered great advice and helped to waylay my fears about facing this situation. You asked me to keep you posted. The rest of the story lacks the drama of the scenario, but goes to show that at the heart of it, we just want the best for our clients.

What happened, after all that fretting, was actually very simple. My client was close to making an offer on the "dream house" despite it not being in the dream neighborhood. When the listing agent called to follow up on their interest, I figured it was time to come clean. I explained the situation, that he had written an offer previously for my buyer, now under contract with my company, and said my buyer was considering a second offer.

The listing agent dismissed my concerns. He repeated the fact that he had shown the house a few times, but encouraged us to write, regardless of his previous involvement. Rather than a defensive response, I was greeted with someone who really, truly just wanted to sell his listing and help his sellers.

The fairy tale ending is that we came to an agreement on a fair price for that home. The truth is, my buyer found a fantastic deal in their dream neighborhood, exactly what they wanted all along.

End Of Story.