Things You Can Overhear in the Real Estate Office

Originally posted June 15, 2006.
This is precisely why I think this blog is a necessity.
Yesterday someone said that she just took an exclusive listing from a seller and she was laughing that it would NEVER sell as it was exceedingly overpriced and had a high maintenance.
She elucidated that she priced it very high to appease the seller, knowing it wouldn’t sell. Why would she do that? As she explained, it was a way for her to get in contact with buyers who might be interested in other properties.
I have also recently discovered that some of my colleagues are writing false names on open house registries under the auspices that they want “to show people how to sign in.” Give me a break! The deception is purely a vehicle to make it appear that more people have attended the open house than actually have.
This absolutely enrages me!
If I thought that pointing this out would result in even a slap on the wrist by the Department of State, I would gladly name names. But in my 15 years in the industry, I have seen and heard much worse, and very seldom does anyone get in the slightest trouble.
I still believe that the majority of professionals in my industry operate with a high level of integrity, but a few bad seeds like this continue to support public fears and distrust of real estate agents.
Sellers and buyers both beware:

Sellers: PLEASE interview three or more agents before signing an exclusive agreement and always get a written market analysis to support pricing and review it with the agent who provides it. Also, try to separate what you want to hear from reality and current market conditions. There are brokers out there who will do whatever it takes to get you to sign on the dotted line with nothing more in mind than their best interest.
Buyers: The best advice I can give is to find a broker who provides a real service, with a wealth of experience, to guide you through not only the search, but most importantly, the bidding and negotiating process.

More tips by scrolling through the Tips & Advice category.
Contrary to what many believe, there are some extraordinarily sound real estate professionals out there who truly have your best interest in mind in the hope that your experience with them will help to grow their businesses in a positive direction.