Deleted post

Thank you everyone for your responses.

Deleted- so the realtor doesnt see the post. lol UMMM...but I highly doubt she is on Lifamilies, she is an older women. You never know

Message edited 4/6/2011 7:44:20 AM.

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

I don't think this is normal at all, especially since it happened to us in our hunt with the sellers agent. Over our 8-9 month journey we put several bids on homes and on this one house the exact thing happen. Funny enough the seller took the house off the market and just put it back on the market. Do you mind me asking what town?

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

I wouldn't work with her anymore.

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

Is this agent your buyer's agent (did you sign a brokerage agreement with her)? If not, then she is really working in the interests of the seller, even though she is servng you as a customer. So then, ethically, she is obligated to try to get the best deal for the seller.

That being said, it is unethical for a real estate agent to LIE to any party, regardless of who they represent. However, are you sure that the agent you were working with deliberately misrepresented the situation to you? It seems possible that she could have been relaying information to you that was given to her by the listing agent, and then the situation changed OR the listing agent didn't provide correct information. The listing agent could have said to your agent, "We have had a lot of activity and are expecting 3 or 4 other offers, so you should let your customer know that," in the hopes of influencing you to make a higher offer. There are obviously many negotiating tactics that can be used, but unfortunately, if you don't have a buyer's agent working for you, you don't really have representation in the negotiation, at least not to the full extent you would with a buyer's agent.

I don't agree with your agent pressuring you, but perhaps she misread your level of interest in the house and was just trying to keep you informed of the changing circumstances as she got new info, to make sure you didn't lose out (or at least could make an informed decision about whether or not to raise your offer)?

As far as the comment about not going strictly by the comps, I don't know exactly what she meant, but I know that I have advised customers that "getting a good deal" isn't always strictly about dollars. I understand that in this market, buyers want to know they are not overpaying, but for most people, a house (if it is their primary residence) is more than a financial asset. It is a home for their family, and so if you love a home, sometimes paying a little more than you think the comps support is worth it, if you plan on living there long-term. I know when I bought my house, we probably paid $20-25K more than we "should have" based on the market, but the sellers were stubborn, and we really loved the house. We could afford it, and it was by far the best fit for us of anything we looked at. We bought it, we plan to stay here, and I don't regret it. It came down to giving in a little for the greater gain, so to speak. So I kind of get what the agent may have been saying.

But the bottom line is - you have to like your agent and feel comfortable working with her. If you don't think she is a good fit for you, then you should just sever the relationship and find someone else you can work better with! Good luck!

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

Yeah, it sounds like she doesn't have very good judgment, and that is giving her the benefit of the doubt!

There are a TON of realtors out there, all eager to work with ready, willing, and able buyers, so I agree that you should just move on to someone who you feel is helping you, not pressuring and harrassing you.

Honestly, although this is a sales job, I view my job with buyers as more of a counselor/guide. I am an attorney, and that's what I did for 9 years, so that comes more naturally to me than "sales," per se. So I don't get your realtor's seemingly "hard sell" approach.

Hope you find someone better. Personally, though, I think you'd be better off working with just one agent who knows you and your criteria and is somewhat invested in your search (rather than going through listing agents of various houses that you may be interested in). Could Agent #1, who you like, work with you in both areas?

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

Do yourself a favor and get a BUYER's agent. ONLY buyer's agent are working for YOU. A seller's agent client is working for the seller. They will try to get as much $$ as possible in the interest of their client (the seller... not you!) and it's more commission for them.

Plenty of seller's agent have used the "we expect mulitiple offers tonight", "hurry up it won't last, I heard of 2 offers coming in". Well, many times it's lies. Not all seller's agents do it but many do. While it may be true in some cases that they have other offers do NOT take a seller's agent words as facts.

Re: Is this ethical of a Realtor??

Where are you looking? Maybe someone has a recco for you. Get a buyers agent!!!