There, I have said it. Move on if you can't get hold of your real estate agent.
Several times this year a buyer has lost out on the home they really wanted--but lost out because "their" agent didn't come through.
Let me give you an example of what just happened.
A buyer calls me on a listing I have and asks me some questions. I immediately tell her that we have an offer in, but not accepted yet. She says she understands.
Next she tells me that she had been in touch with another agent and that she had asked her to take additional photos of the bedrooms.
"So you are represented by another agent?" I said. "I'm sorry, you need to go back to that agent and talk to her about this." She tells me the name of the agent.
She still keeps talking, saying, "well the photos aren't that important" and can I help her make an offer. I explained real estate ethics and that I can't help her since she is represented by another agent. She says, she understands and we say goodbye.
Next I get a call from a real estate agent, not the same one that she mentioned to me before, saying he has an offer from this lady. I gather that she was not able to get in touch with her initial agent, so she found him somehow. I explain to him that when she called me, I told her we were looking at another offer. He says he understands.
Next he tells me he is going out of town for a few days and will be back on Thanksgiving. I forget what words he used but it was something like "let me know when I get back about the offer." I was speechless, in what universe didn't he understand that I already have an offer on the table and all kinds of things can happen between now and when he gets back to work? But, ok, it is what it is.
About an hour later, I get contacted by a Home Inspection company wanting to set up a date for this potential buyer. Because I work with them a lot, I tell them we don't even have a contract and they should be aware of this. "Oh...."
The story does not end there. I get an email forwarded to me in which this poor buyer tells someone at the "community" where this listing is at, that she has an offer in and to let her know what is happening with her offer.
I really wanted to pick up the phone and tell this poor buyer that this is not how it works, so instead I sent an email to her saying "I am in receipt of your offer but please stay in touch with your agent as to the outcome."
Fast forward to today - still days before her agent is back from his being "out of town" - and my sellers have accepted another offer and we are going into escrow today.
I plan to send an email to the buyer's agent that his client's offer was not accepted.
Am now pondering if I should call or email this poor buyer to give her a heads-up, but am reluctant.
She is NOT my client.
What would you do, keeping in mind all the California real estate rules and regulations and the various ethics rules that a REALTOR lives by.
The moral of this story:
Know your agent and know that they will be there for you.
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