Has
my opinion changed?????
My Scenario:
Recently I had a listing and an interested buyer who was driving around the neighborhoods, saw the home and called me to schedule a showing. My first questions is always "Are you working with an agent?" to which he replied "no". Because he was going to be coming from work, which was 5 minutes from the home, I agreed to meet him there but not before getting a faxed copy of his drivers license and yr make and model of his car. He promoptly sent that information over but forgot to send his license plate number so when I arrived I quickly texted it to my husband who had all the other information. I discussed dual agency with him and phoned my sellers and all parties were fine with a dual agency arrangement.
Upon arriving I showed him the home. He liked it and wanted to write an offer so we went downtown to Denny's and wrote up an offer. It was rather low, so I told him I was almost certain my sellers would submit a counteroffer. He said "ok and would I look for other properties for him as well". Additionally he had not gotten preapproval from a lender yet and asked for a referral to a lender. I gave him the name of my preferred lender and he said he'd call first thing the next day. I said I don't generally have my clients sign a Buyers Agency Agreement as long as they assured me they weren't working with other agents. He said "oh no I'm happy to work with you, things have gone well, I'm pleased".
I left the meeting and called my sellers and we discussed the offer. Long story short.....they submitted a counter, buyer submitted a counter, seller submitted a counter and buyer declined. The day we had met to view the home, my sellers had dropped their price $20k and we were generating quite a bit of activity. The day Mr. Buyer declined, we got an offer and had mutual acceptance. That property was now off the table.
From our first meeting I started sending Mr. Buyer listings and I kept him apprised of where things stood with my listing. He had given me a cell number that didn't have a voice mail set up and his email address. I could see he was viewing the listings I was sending and I suggested we meet on a Tuesday at 5pm. On that Tuesday at 2pm he called and said yes lets meet at 5pm. I drove out to the home he was interested in and showed him around. He was somewhat interested but a little concerned about things like the roof and wanted his father to see the home on Saturday. I told him I was probably not going to be able to make Saturday, but I'd let him know for sure later in the week. As it turned out I was not available so I tried his cell and got no answer. I then emailed him and suggested we meet on Tuesday at 5pm.
I continued sending listings and trying his phone and got no response. I sent out my 4th of July ecards. No response. Finally on the 8th of July I got a call from my preferred lender. His exact words were "Sandy, I have some not so good news......Mr. Buyer has submitted an offer with another agent!". I thought I had been punched in the stomach and all my air was gone! My lender felt at a loss because of course he was going to provide the loan, but that was supposed to be my client and it made him uncomfortable. I told him "well you can't win'em all" and I tried really hard not to let it bother me.
Later that evening I called Mr. Buyer and he finally answered. Here is our conversation:
Me: Hi Mr. Buyer, just touching base, I've sent several listings and wanted to set up an appointment to show you some of them
Mr. Buyer: Oh well I think I've found something so I won't be needing your services any longer
Me: Well I have to say I'm a little disappointed given our conversation about not signing a Buyers Agency Agreement and yet you sought the services of another agent.
Recently I had a listing and an interested buyer who was driving around the neighborhoods, saw the home and called me to schedule a showing. My first questions is always "Are you working with an agent?" to which he replied "no". Because he was going to be coming from work, which was 5 minutes from the home, I agreed to meet him there but not before getting a faxed copy of his drivers license and yr make and model of his car. He promoptly sent that information over but forgot to send his license plate number so when I arrived I quickly texted it to my husband who had all the other information. I discussed dual agency with him and phoned my sellers and all parties were fine with a dual agency arrangement.
Upon arriving I showed him the home. He liked it and wanted to write an offer so we went downtown to Denny's and wrote up an offer. It was rather low, so I told him I was almost certain my sellers would submit a counteroffer. He said "ok and would I look for other properties for him as well". Additionally he had not gotten preapproval from a lender yet and asked for a referral to a lender. I gave him the name of my preferred lender and he said he'd call first thing the next day. I said I don't generally have my clients sign a Buyers Agency Agreement as long as they assured me they weren't working with other agents. He said "oh no I'm happy to work with you, things have gone well, I'm pleased".
I left the meeting and called my sellers and we discussed the offer. Long story short.....they submitted a counter, buyer submitted a counter, seller submitted a counter and buyer declined. The day we had met to view the home, my sellers had dropped their price $20k and we were generating quite a bit of activity. The day Mr. Buyer declined, we got an offer and had mutual acceptance. That property was now off the table.
From our first meeting I started sending Mr. Buyer listings and I kept him apprised of where things stood with my listing. He had given me a cell number that didn't have a voice mail set up and his email address. I could see he was viewing the listings I was sending and I suggested we meet on a Tuesday at 5pm. On that Tuesday at 2pm he called and said yes lets meet at 5pm. I drove out to the home he was interested in and showed him around. He was somewhat interested but a little concerned about things like the roof and wanted his father to see the home on Saturday. I told him I was probably not going to be able to make Saturday, but I'd let him know for sure later in the week. As it turned out I was not available so I tried his cell and got no answer. I then emailed him and suggested we meet on Tuesday at 5pm.
I continued sending listings and trying his phone and got no response. I sent out my 4th of July ecards. No response. Finally on the 8th of July I got a call from my preferred lender. His exact words were "Sandy, I have some not so good news......Mr. Buyer has submitted an offer with another agent!". I thought I had been punched in the stomach and all my air was gone! My lender felt at a loss because of course he was going to provide the loan, but that was supposed to be my client and it made him uncomfortable. I told him "well you can't win'em all" and I tried really hard not to let it bother me.
Later that evening I called Mr. Buyer and he finally answered. Here is our conversation:
Me: Hi Mr. Buyer, just touching base, I've sent several listings and wanted to set up an appointment to show you some of them
Mr. Buyer: Oh well I think I've found something so I won't be needing your services any longer
Me: Well I have to say I'm a little disappointed given our conversation about not signing a Buyers Agency Agreement and yet you sought the services of another agent.
Mr. Buyer: Well I didn't plan to, but
thank you for your time.
End of conversation!
I can hear it now, "if only you'd had a Buyers Agency Agreement". But I still won't use one. You see after getting over the shock of being cheated I realized that the hardest part of the whole thing was wrapping my head around someone being so disloyal and dishonest. I am a very loyal and honest person and I just couldn't fathom doing that to someone. My lender told me that Mr. Buyer had told him he was out driving around and just had to jump on this home they'd come across. Ironically, I had asked him to go out that Sunday and look at several listings.
I would like to hope that this was an honest mistake. Adam Waldman summed it up quite well and said "half the time they don't even realize that they just cost you money".
As a Realtor® I work very hard for all my clients. There are many behind the scenes things happening including countless hours spent combing through properties on the MLS or previewing properties. Sometimes we get lucky and it's one property, one offer and off to closing. Most often though that is not the case. Being someones Realtor® is more then simply writing up an offer and collecting a commission. It's about really getting in tune with your clients needs and helping them to achieve their dream of homeownership!
Buyers and Sellers: Please be loyal to your Realtor®, we work hard for you even when you don't see it! It goes back to "Do unto others........."
Sandy Noll
Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty
NWREA, LLC
425-890-0878
sandranoll@kw.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
End of conversation!
I can hear it now, "if only you'd had a Buyers Agency Agreement". But I still won't use one. You see after getting over the shock of being cheated I realized that the hardest part of the whole thing was wrapping my head around someone being so disloyal and dishonest. I am a very loyal and honest person and I just couldn't fathom doing that to someone. My lender told me that Mr. Buyer had told him he was out driving around and just had to jump on this home they'd come across. Ironically, I had asked him to go out that Sunday and look at several listings.
I would like to hope that this was an honest mistake. Adam Waldman summed it up quite well and said "half the time they don't even realize that they just cost you money".
As a Realtor® I work very hard for all my clients. There are many behind the scenes things happening including countless hours spent combing through properties on the MLS or previewing properties. Sometimes we get lucky and it's one property, one offer and off to closing. Most often though that is not the case. Being someones Realtor® is more then simply writing up an offer and collecting a commission. It's about really getting in tune with your clients needs and helping them to achieve their dream of homeownership!
Buyers and Sellers: Please be loyal to your Realtor®, we work hard for you even when you don't see it! It goes back to "Do unto others........."
Sandy Noll
Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty
NWREA, LLC
425-890-0878
sandranoll@kw.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com