What these agents did speaks volumes about their character.
I was negotiating 2 contracts with 2 different buyers for one of my sellers. Both agents knew of the other offer. They didn’t know the terms and conditions, but they knew that their buyers were competing against another offer.
One agent’s buyers wanted the house at all costs, but they had made the highest offer they could afford financially. She knew in her gut that her buyer’s offer was LOW, and, as the offer was currently written, that her buyers, who were also good friends of hers would lose the property. She called me about an hour before my sellers were going to make the decision on which offer to accept, and said, “Eric, if it makes a difference I will forgo (a large percentage) of my commission to get my clients’ offer accepted.” She then went on to tell me the back ‘Story’ of why she was doing this.
When I relayed the conversation that this agent and I had to my sellers, they ended up accepting her clients’ offer even though the reduction in commission was still less than the 2nd offer. My clients were moved by the desire of the buyers and the buyer’s agent to make it work, and they believe in good ‘Karma.’
This is one of the Stories that the public doesn’t hear. How agents go above and beyond. How we become emotionally invested in our clients. There are many, many agents that would do this. Many agents that I know do EVERYTHING they possibly can to help their clients.
My next Story, unfortunately, is how the public perceives most agents. Arrogant and off-putting.
We were recently looking at homes with buyers when we happened to schedule a showing while there was an ‘Open House’ going on. These opens where the agent sits around hoping for unrepresented buyers to come through. Can I tell you why agents do Open Houses? NOPE, not to actually sell the house. They do it hoping to get buyers. They are hoping someone comes through that’s not working with an agent so that they can ‘generate a lead.’
Well, this agent, she had a sign-in sheet and wanted feedback. She asked for feedback. If you’ve ever been out looking at houses with me, you know I’m HONEST.
So, at the end she said, “What do you think?” I told her, “You are listed for $499k, but you should be under $450k. There is a smoke smell when you walk in. The 1980’s linoleum flooring when you first walk in needs updated. The interior ‘wood 1980s’ hollow, cheap doors need to go….” I was trying to give constructive criticism to take back to her seller in order to help her sell. See, feedback coming from another agent carries weight and could hopefully help her get a reduction.
Her Response. She was like my dog Lazer when he sees a squirrel in the yard. The hair stands up on his back. Well her hair stood up and she RIPPED into me. Telling me how she sold X down the street for $480k, and how on this side of the neighborhood, that it is ‘more prestigious’. And gave me a bunch of other salesman BS…
I told her, “Hey, I’m just trying to help you here” and walked out.
Outside my clients were like, “What just happened? Even if we liked that house, which we don’t, NO WAY I would want to work with that agent. She was extremely rude.”
Yes. Yes she was.
But she does not represent a large majority of agents. However, due to this action, my clients will now have a ‘Story’ to tell and this is how the ‘Legend of the Loser’ gets told over and over.
Choose someone like Agent A, who has the heart of gold, that will bend over backwards for their client…