Special offer

Right or Wrong "Shopping an Offer"

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams

When I began my real estate career, I happened to be one of the lucky new agents who had an excellent       in-office trainer/coach. She focused on topics as we came to them in our real-world practice such as agency, disclosure, representation requirements, contracts, negotiation, integrity, professionalism, and ethics.

I was taught that when a listing agent receives an offer, the terms and conditions of the offer are kept confidential. Those terms and conditions are not divulged to other agents within the office, other agents outside of the office, to other buyers - the terms and conditions are not divulged to anyone other than the owner of the property, the person the listing agent represents. If a listing agent "shops the offer", it is considered unethical behavior. Do you agree?

And, who hasn't been the victim of an unethical listing agent who has shared the details of the offer, perhaps with the listing agent's own buyer, or to another agent with interested buyers within the listing agent's office? Despicable behavior! Right? Isn't this the way you were trained? As a general rule, I believe this is the thinking, the belief system, of the majority of agents practicing today.

 Jason Vombaur- The "J" Team- vombaur@gmail.com

Renée Donohue~Home Photography
Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI
Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer
Jason:  If you have written permission from the seller to disclose the information, then it is OK to do so within the written guidelines.  Case in point would be for a range priced property that has multiple offers and getting written disclosure to be able to share the terms of the highest offer/terms.
Mar 31, 2007 06:55 PM