Does a Realtor Really Represent Your Interests?

The following was actually a comment from another blog I was reading and. It made me think about some of the many concerns a seller should have when they consider hiring a listing agent. The issue here is understanding whose interests the Realtor is really representing.

Our listing agent screwed up the multiple offers situation when we put our house on market in summer of 2005. We received two offers within a week, one buyer offered lower price but with half million cash down payment and a 30-day escrow, the other buyer offered higher price but with very low down payment and asked for 60-day escrow. Our agent persuaded to go with the higher offer even though we preferred the lower offer with 30-day escrow. It turned out our listing agent is a good friend of the buy agent he favored. Unfortunately escrow fell through, and due to the long escrow period we agreed to, we missed the peak selling season. When we listed the house again in September, it took multiple price reductions to finally find another buyer in early 2006.

I had a slightly different experience when I bought my first home. My wife and I were tired of renting and we decided we were ready to buy. We were inexperienced and went with a Realtor we really didn't interview. My wife did her own searching and found a probate sale home and we decided to make an offer. To make a long story short, because the seller was motivated, our Realtor was bidding on the property at the same time we were! She would submit low ball offers and then encourage us to submit high-end bids. Her ruse was finally uncovered when she accidentally faxed us a counter offer that was hers. We contacted the listing agent and she told us what she thought was happening. You need to be careful and ask your Realtor tough questions.

Keep an eye out for other articles that talk about how to interview Realtors and how to make the best choice. You can also sign up for my free e-course that talks about this topic and many others. Selling your house with a Realtor is only one way to sell your home. If you decide to take that route, that's great, but don't think the work is done for you. As this blog shows, choosing the wrong Realtor can spell disaster.


If you would like to receive an instant offer on your house, go to www.SDHomeSaver.com or email me directly at SDHomeSaver@gmail.com. Remember, I don't list homes, I buy them. I work hard to understand your unique situation and create an offer that meets your needs, and solves your situation. If you would like to understand more of your options on how best to sell your home, sign up for my free e-course. It offers excellent advice on how to pick the best realtor, sell your house as a FSBO, or how best to work with an investor to sell your house. Best of luck and I look forward to hearing from you.