Because I'm trying to figure out if the realtor selling our home has been hurting the sale of our home or if its truly a bad market. We might be buying locally and I'm wondering if we should get a different realtor for buying a house because I'm concerned about his communication style and ability to see the market clearly.
Edit to add some: We've been on the market for 6 months. We are located in the Tampa area. We took his advice on our initial list price and we were very clear that we had no clue what it was worth. We've driven every price cut since then, as we would go weeks without showings and he was unbothered. We have cut by a total of 100k. After 2 months, we asked him about feedback, at which point he shared that price had been an issue, but he never said that to us. And it's more than just that.
He is kind of aggressive with his communication style. For example, he killed a showing because the realtor wouldn't give a 30 minute time frame. Like he didn't even ask us, he just told them no. He also gets really mad when realtors don't communicate they are running late. I mean, we get it, we have looked at houses too, things don't always go to plan. We also had an offer on the table at one point and he called their realtor to discuss a counter. He told their realtor that he was going to "cut her commission" to make it work, but it was exactly the commission we agreed to. And we also did not approve him cutting any commissions, etc, he said this on his own. Well they ended up agreeing to a number then changing their mind and I fear it's because we seemed difficult.
Which, btw, he put the commission out there when he first talked about whether we wanted to rent or sell. He said 2% for him and 2.5% for a buying realtor was more than enough at our price point (and of course we aren't going to argue). Well, today, he called us to tell us there was another offer likely coming and started complaining that we haven't sold because the commission is low. I wish he would have told us that in the first place. I just feel like he's been dishonest on more occasions than I have even written. But this is the short version.
Anyway, I think I know what my heart is telling me. We went with him because my dad has always been our realtor but he retired after 20 years and this was the friend he recommended. I see now that was a mistake.
What are some red flags of a bad realtor
byu/Optimal-Razzmatazz91 inRealEstate
Posted by Optimal-Razzmatazz91
10 Comments
They convince you dropping the price $1k every week will make a difference
You don’t need a list from people of red flags. You need to understand if there are issues with your current realtor. Did you interview other realtors? Did your current realtor show you comps of what has recently sold?
We don’t know anything about your market and how slow it is. Is your realtor listening to you? Are they explaining things clearly? Are you able to ask them questions? Is there anything you need to review with their broker about their interaction?
It’s a personal situation that is specific to what you are experiencing with your realtor. You could spend the effort and explain the things that you are concerned about and professionals on this site can let you know if those are acceptable things.
You should remember that the holidays are usually a very slow time of year for real estate sales. Now, this varies by market, but December is traditionally when you get the lowest price for your house anyway.
Someone who only mentions the “good”. That’s the equivalent of a sleazy car salesman.
Find someone who knows their stuff both about the properties itself and the location. Not only that, make sure they can honestly and confidently point out the good and bad because they have your best interest in mind. Good luck.
If your gut says something isn’t right, you probably are correct. Sometimes personalities don’t click. You can always speak with the agent’s broker (or manager depending on where you live – I’m in Florida) and voice your concerns. My wife is a Broker Associate, equivalent to an agency broker but doesn’t run an agency. She works hard for her clients but sometimes the personality don’t click. Don’t feel bad, interview other agents. It’s your money, the agent works for you! Don’t let them forget that. If your current home isn’t selling, ask for the CMA (competitive market analysis) that set the price and challenge it. Don’t use Zillow, their numbers are crap, they don’t take into account interior differences. Hope this helps.
Do you have anything specific?
That is an incredibly vague statement. Is your Agent responsive? Does your agent show you houses you want to see? Do they communicate well? Do they have at least three years full-time experience? Do they seem to know what they’re doing?
I set the communication cadence up front and I’m very clear about it. I find that clarity with your needs is important with realtors, or any relationship for that matter. Have you expressed with your realtor your frustrations or that you would like a specific communication cadence?
I walked into a house last week (in the market for 76 days) and as I was touring my realtor got a text from the listing agent “is your client submitting an offer? We are about to start negociations on another offer”.. I felt rushed but LOVED the house and wanted my husband to see it, so he got out of work early, drove 2 hours to the area and as soon as we walked into the house again the realtor texted if we are not submitting an offer they’ll start negotiations. Point is it gave us such a negative feeling towards the house I decided to let it go and didn’t even finish the showing. At the end everything was a lie, the house never changed to pending and now it is still sitting.
Jesus Christ, I dearly hope your listing contract lasts only six months to termination.