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What Would You Do? Goofus or Galant?

By Jim Mazziotti

Real Estate Agent with EXIT REALTY BEND

March 14, 2008 05:06 PM

So...what would you do? I just have to know. Here is the story line.

One day a Realtor named Matt showed a property to his Buyer. It just so happens that during the showing the Seller was on the property and overheard the enthusiasm the potential Buyer seemed to have. The Seller did stay out of the way and allowed the Buyers Agent and Buyer take their time. After 30 minutes or so the Buyers Agent and the Buyer got in their car and left. The Seller was hopeful that an offer would be forthcoming.

The next day the Seller called his Listing Agent and asked if he had heard any feedback from the Buyers Agent. The Sellers Agent said he had heard nothing back at all....but heck, that isn't unusual in our marketplace. Most Buyers Agents seldom have the courtesy or professioanlism to give feedback on showings to the Listing Agents. The Seller proceeded to tell his agent that he overheard the Buyer express an interest in the property to his agent. He was surprised that the Buyers Agent hadn't submitted some kind of an offer.

The next day the Seller called his agent, Rian, and said, "I want to make an offer to the Buyer. Rian scratched his head and said "Well, that would be a REVERSE OFFER. I guess I could do that." So, Rian sat down with the Seller and they put together an excellent offer...an offer to the Buyer.

The Sellers Agent, Rian, went to his office and sat down and called Buyers Agent, Matt. He said, "Matt, I have an interesting offer for you. You see, my Seller has asked me to submit an offer to your Buyer. You know, the one who looked at his property the other day." Matt said, "Heck, I don't know about that. I guess I will have to ask my dad (his principal broker) if I can do that. The Sellers agent, Rian, spoke up and said, "Matt, why wouldn't you submit this offer to your Buyer?" The Buyers Agent said," Well, I'm not sure if my Buyer was really that interested in the property...and besides...he told me he needed to sell a property before moving forward on an offer." The Sellers Agent responded, " Don't you feel that you have an obligation to your Buyer to present an offer like this to him?"

Several days went by. The Sellers Agent, Rian, had not heard back. He faxed the offer from his Seller to the Buyers Agent. Nothing. No call. No email. Nothing. The Sellers Agent felt like the Buyers Agent was trying to elude him by not returning his calls or answering emails.

Two weeks passed. The Buyers Agent still has not responded.

So...I ask you....is the Buyers Agent "Goofus" or "Galant?" Do you feel the Buyers agent has an obligation to present the REVERSE OFFER to his client? What would you do in this case? What responsibility does the Buyers Agent have in this regard. Must he present the offer? Should he present the offer?

What would you do?

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Vickie Nagy

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate - Palm Springs, CA

Vickie Jean the Palm Springs Condo Queen

All offers and counteroffers must be presented in a "timely fashion" in most states. HOWEVER, an offer SHOULD be in writing to be binding...and the lack of a response MAY mean that the buyer did not wish to accept the uni-lateral offer.

I WOULD present the offer and I WOULD call the listing agent with a response or verbal counter. Looks like this buyer chose not to accept and not to counter.

It's time to move on.

Mar 14, 2008 05:15 PM

Richard Weisser

Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA

Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

Jim...

ALL offers must be presented. That is an agency responsibility. We have successfully executed two SELLER to BUYER contracts this year! However, there is NEVER an obligation to respond to any offer. So. it may have been presenter without counter. Courtesy dictates that the call be made, but that's a rare commodity these days!

Mar 14, 2008 05:17 PM

Mark Organek

And the United States of America - Mesa, AZ

It's not a game, it's your life.

Goofus! When one professional representing a client presents an offer to another, courtesy and respect should be shown enough to at least say no. To not call back nor respond to you in any other fashion shows that daddy might not have taught his son the professional courtesy part of the business. There are better things you could be doing with your time and he should at least appreciate the fact that a colleague presented an opportunity to transact.

Mar 14, 2008 05:21 PM

Jon Boyd

Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor - Ann Arbor, MI

Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyers Agent

I'll go with the GOOFUS vote also.

The agent who showed the buyer the home should have:

1. Confirm to you that they received your offer

2. Outlined when they would present it to the potential buyer

3. Followed up with you on the outcome of the presentation.

On the other hand you are a little presumptuous if you feel that every agent who shows one of your listings is obligated to provide you with feedback.

A buyer's agent's time is valuable too. And when I know I can't justify calling back real estate agents all day to tell them why my client did or didn't like their home. Beyond that as a buyer agent it is not in my client's best interest to provide feedback. (Unless they are interested in purchasing the home, and at that point the feedback would be a purchase offer!)

Thanks for posting the story.

Apr 16, 2008 08:42 AM

Isaac Allen

White Squirrel Realty - Brevard, NC

REALTOR, Brevard, NC area Specialist.

Great situation to ponder upon. I might even consider asking my sellers to propose offers to their lookers. After all, we see a lot more lookers now that inventories have swelled in the Brevard area.

There is a big push to do business differently in my office. When buyers and sellers see a Realtor trying hard and doing business differently, I always hear positive comments.

Apr 29, 2008 09:38 AM

What Would You Do? Goofus or Galant?

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