Unethical Agents, Brokers, Lenders

After surviving an 8-day settlement process, I wish to no longer cooperate with real estate agents that are not Realtors. The difference in my opinion is ethics and honesty. I do not know if that is a possibility with the MLS rules, but if not, I will surely advocate for such a thing. Why? Cooperating with agents that are free from following the Code of Ethics that we as Realtors pledge to follow is very frustrating. It makes the transaction process so much more difficult with having to decipher and read through lie after lie.

My seller and I received a settlement notice and on our way to settlement, I receive an email-no phone call, that settlement was rescheduled. The lender forgot to send the closing disclosure. Strange, right? My seller and I show up for the rescheduled settlement, and we along with the seller's family were the only ones to arrive. The title clerk knew no one else was coming, but still proceeded to direct us to a room. She asked my seller for identification and began to discuss the ALTA. After a half hour, I asked about the other parties. She said they canceled. I became so upset and asked why I did not receive a phone call and why was she having my seller sign a deed. Her response was to have my seller sign a deed package. I, along with my seller-whom by the way is disabled, went to speak to the Broker in Charge. Well, the Broker was on vacation, in training, meeting with a client, and on and on. The Team Leader, frustrated that he was pulled out of a training session, said he will consider it and call me later.

The closing agent sends an email that settlement is back on the next day. My seller and I and her family show up at 4pm. The buyer's agent said she was doing us a favor and that we had to wait until the closing agent was ready. The closing agent was ready at 5:15 after the bank closed. Sellers mortgage payoff had expired at 5pm and settlement had to be rescheduled. The Lender, the buyer's agent, buyer, and closing clerk locked my seller in the building and tried to manipulate her into signing the deed and giving the buyer keys. After I force my way back into the building and tell the other party that my seller is not signing anything and that we are leaving, the buyer lunges at me to attempt to physically assault me. After she is restrained, we leave drained and disappointed. I call the Team Leader and again ask to file a complaint. His response was that it is my fault. When I ask him why, he hangs up the phone. Yes, we eventually closed the transaction 8 days after arriving to the first settlement. While in the process of attempting to file an ethics complaint against the buyer’s agent, I realized that she was not a member. I had to file a complaint against the Broker.

I do not want to have an issue like this ever again. Hence that is why I want to only cooperate with Realtors which will give me about a 70% chance of working with an honest agent.