Thread: Ethics?

Originally Posted by K52

If I were to contact another Realtor to go take follow-up look and possibly make an offer on this property, would I be placing this new agent in an awkward or maybe even unethical situation? I would be advising this new agent that another Realtor had already shown me the house but that I preferred to work with someone else.

Not for you as the customer/client. If you do enter into a buyer representation agreement with another agent, just please tell them exactly how much and what kind of contact you have had with the listing agent if you happen to make an offer on that property. The agents will have to hash it out between them.

Because many of us are curious, I'm sure, could you give us an idea of what kind of thing an agent could do while showing a listing that makes a customer decide not to work with them to make an offer? It would really help some of us

Originally Posted by dognponyshow

Because many of us are curious, I'm sure, could you give us an idea of what kind of thing an agent could do while showing a listing that makes a customer decide not to work with them to make an offer? It would really help some of us

Yes of course, but it is really nothing that you don't already know.

This individual made a couple of misrepresentations about the property that I knew to be untrue based upon my advance research. She also claimed to know certain details about the house, but then feigned ignorance with standard questions like the age of the roof and a/c. Had this not been her own listing, I may have overlooked that. She also made other assertions that were untrue that were not material to the house itself, but rather about activities in the community. The really unfortunate thing is that she is the owner of an agency which is well-established in this small town. She seems to be accustomed to getting things to go the way she wants them to go.

I am so put off by her that if contacting another agent is going to cause that agent to have to work things out with this individual, I will not proceed with further follow-up. She will eventually get her cut, but it will not be from my participation.

Thanks for the input.

Not only is it plausible that she has no idea how old the roof is and how old some of the other fixtures in the house are but it's actually rather probable.

Many owners have no idea how old their roof is. Even ones that put a new one on themselves!

The person who knows the most would be the owners. If you ask the listing agent to speak with the owner then you may realize that the listing agent is only as ignorant as the owners are about the house.