Do you have an agent

Did you ask him why his agent could not show him the homw?

50/50  customers are going to be honest with you... the good thing is that you asked. even though he lied.

buyers are liars and sellers are too

Did you ask for an approval letter?  Usually, when you go further and ask more questions and request real information, they tend to hesitate and you can tell if they have an agent or if they're just tire kickers.  When I get sign calls, no showing of the house without an approval letter if they say they're not working with an agent.  I've had a couple of people ask what happens if they like the house and they decide to use another agent.  I explain that my listing agreement and MLS listing states "If I show your buyer, before or after you show the same buyer and submit an offer, your BAC will reduce to 1%."  I explain to the buyer why this happens... you'll get a very honest answer after that.  Oh, my agent is out of town... oh, my agent is with other buyers right now... many other things, but you won't waste your time.

Happens to us all. I just had someone do almost the same to me this weekend. "We want to move forward on the property" so when we met with papers in hand, they had 2 other properties (meetings with the listing agents) to see...

Buyers are liars...not all but many.  Ask for more info like mentioned in other comments...e-mail or fax him an agency disclosre and have him e-mail or fax you the lender letter...any balking from him don't show.

 

As a listing agent, this happens to me all the time, it is not in my sellers best interest to haggle over commisions I just want to get the home sold  When you take a listing in Ma it states commision, co broke for buyer agent & facilitator. My office is a 50/50 agency if your agency is not then you get what you give  Every buyer is entitled to representation. One of my buyers viewed a home w/out me this week-end. I was available they felt bad because they have viewed so many homes with me they were giving me a break & called the listing agent.  They want to make an offer thank goodness the other agent didn't balk he said it happens to all of us the buyers just don't know how we work even when we educate them. 

John, this is a very interesting topic as judging by the comments. You asked the right questions and was prepared but some people just like to waste their time and play games. At the end of the day they are just renters and will be that way for a time.

John you can only do what you do and it sounds like you did what you could.  Asking them should have been enough but people tend to "forget" that telling you the full story is the best and who knows maybe they don't know what the differences are in letting you know yes they do have an agent vs no I do not.  You'd be surprise what people don't know.  It was practice run.....

I had an buyer call me yesterday looking for an agent to show her homes. She had an agent that did not want to show her homes because she was in a lease till next June. I hate that when it happens!

Actually not that often - most of the people we deal with come to us from the interent and we work with them for several months before they come into town- every now and then you get somebody working with several people, but most realize how much time we spend and that it is how we make our living - most people are up front -