When A Client Fails to Recognize Your Worth
Those are never the words an agent wants to hear, especially when we are working to make our clients transaction flow smoothly. This caught me blindsided, and left me speechless, but I had to appreciate that the client was also feeling the strain. 
The situation: I have a buyer client that is buying a foreclosure. They have had their strains getting their funding, but it appears to be close, and our closing date, with a HUD home was 3 weeks away. This did not appear to be a problem, except while we were waiting to get their mortgage approval, the house was vandalized and all the copper plumbing in the basement was stripped. I called the buyers within minutes of getting the call from the listing agent.
Buyers needed to see the house, which we arranged to do later that day, as well as make a determination as to whether we would go through with the sale. Buyers were committed to the sale and as the decision should be theirs, they were instructed to call a plumber ASAP and I would let them in so they could prepare an estimate that we could then submit to HUD for a closing credit. Ten days go by with no response from the buyers and I finally call a plumber myself and we are in the house within 90 minutes of my call.
I notifed the buyers of this, and they are livid that I would take it upon myself to call a plumber without talking to them and that they still wanted to call at least 2 more to get a cross section of prices. I had to explain to them that time was of the essence and we could not wait for the last minute to negotiate a credit for the plumbing especially since it was taking them so long to get some action.
That's when the statement was made, and not by the buyers but by one of their family members, but the buyers also said nothing. I composed myself and offered a response that in the 10 years I have been working in real estate, I have never put commission ahead of a client's needs. I don't pressure a client to either accept an offered contract on a listing nor do I pressure a client to make an offer on a home when they are not ready. I do not show a client homes that are beyond their value range. My client's best interests are always of the utmost priority for me.
Taking an action to get a plumbing estimate, or any type of estimate is because of the urgency of the time, and the reality that an extension is required. It may be possible that we can get an extension without the buyer having to pay the necessary extension fee, but waiting for an appointment to get an estimate will get them very little from the seller.
Real estate agents should always be working to lessen the burden on their clients, but at the same time clients need to take responsibility when the time is appropriate. Yes I do care about my clients.
You Don't Care About Us, You Just Want to Get Your Commission
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