Navigating the Real Estate World: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As a realtor with almost a decade of experience, I've had the privilege of working with many dedicated and responsible real estate professionals who genuinely care about their clients. These realtors go above and beyond to ensure their clients' needs are met and their best interests are protected. Unfortunately, not all realtors uphold these standards. Some are arrogant, indifferent, and driven solely by the pursuit of money.

Currently, I'm representing a seller in a transaction where the buyer's agent is a well-known figure in the industry. My heart sank when I saw the offer from him because I've dealt with him before. He prioritizes his interests over everyone else's, including his own clients. We had verbally agreed on all the terms and conditions before the offer was written. However, in the official offer, he slyly added a request for a higher commission for himself, which was never part of our prior discussions. This led to a counteroffer and a subsequent negotiation focused solely on his commission. He even admitted to intentionally setting a later closing date to pressure my client into agreeing to his demands for more commission in exchange for advising his client to close sooner. I highly doubt his client is aware of these manipulations.

Realtors like him portray themselves as your best friend when you sign up with them, but their primary concern is their profit. Why entrust such a crucial purchase to someone who only cares about their commission? Clients often choose these agents because they believe it's free, unaware of what the agent is actually doing—or failing to do—behind their backs. Additionally, in this particular offer, he attached a buyer’s representation agreement with everything left blank except for the buyer’s signature, allowing him to fill in any amount he desires later.

It's frightening to think about buying a house without proper representation, but it’s even scarier to imagine having a buyer’s agent like him on your side. Starting in mid-July, clients will have to pay their agents out of pocket, on top of the purchase price. There must be a more cost-effective and transparent way to handle real estate transactions.

Stay tuned.