One day while attending an open house a potential buyer came in to look around.  When asked how she found the home, she stated that she receives listings from an agent and this particular home was on her list.  She told us about signing up on justlisted.*.*?, and how she received many different listings.  We congratulated her on having a dependable Realtor that sent her listings for review.  She then stated that her buying agent was a friend and that she didn't want to bother her with searching for her new home.

This information is for buyers looking for new homes on the Internet.  There are a lot of lead capture sites that come up when you start searching the Internet for a home.  These companies capture your information and forward it to selected Realtors in your area for a fee.  The lady mentioned above had a Realtor working and paying for her home search and she had no intention of using him or her for purchasing her new home. 

It's good to have a friend that's a Realtor to help you with the buying process.  I'm sure her friend would have been more than happy to set up a listing search.  Especially since she was going to be involved in the process.

That is why communication between clients and Realtors is so important.  If you are receiving listings from a Realtor that you don't know due to an approach as the one above, take a moment and get to know them.  If you do not have any intention of letting the Realtor help you buy your home, you are using their service, time, and money with no benefit to the person sending you information that may lead you to your dream home.  If you are open to them helping you, please communicate at least via email to let them know if they are sending you the type of inventory you are interested in.  If they are not, please let them know so they can change your search.

Realtors have a lot of expenses in keeping their license up to date, advertising, continuing education, transportation, and local and national fees.  If you're a home buyer, their service is of no charge to you.  If you are a seller, the Realtors want to do their best to get your home sold.