In any sales-related industry, there are always a few who believe by stealing other people's hard work as their own should be thought of as standard behavior, sorry not in my book. The first thing I noticed was how one agent tried to undermind another right in front of me, the other new agent wasn't sure about how to enter a property into the computer system known as the MLS system so she asked for help from the assigned mentor in the office, only to have that experienced agent enter her name instead of the new agents' name as listing agent. Basically, she wanted to be credited with the commission once the house was sold as the selling agent. by trying to steal a listing from them and put it under their name so they could get the commission.
Then there are the unprofessional agents who talk up a good line, but never follow through with their promises. The red flags I am about to mention are issues that every buyer or seller should know before they choose a real estate agent to work with. Callbacks - the lack of them is a major red flag to me. For example, say I have an agent and I leave a message for them regarding a question I have about a property or need advice about a subject and they can't be bothered returning my call within a day or so, or even send me an email with an answer, that's unprofessional. Then there are the agents who immediately suggest using a certain mortgage company or title company to do business with when buying a home, that agent to me is one that is probably getting a kickback from those companies. Now If I ask them for a referral and they suggest someone or a company that they've worked for in the past and have had a good experience then that's a different story. A referral when asked for is the professional way to do business but to automatically suggest those companies without being asked is a major red flag to any buyer.
If a seller needs to sell their home quickly but wants the best selling price and the agent suggests a lower-than-valued price, it's because they want to commission quickly instead of working for you to get the best price possible. If the agent also suggests that a lot of cosmetic work be done before the house is listed be wary. Basic painting of rooms, cleaning up the yard, and maybe replacing an appliance or fixing a plumbing problem are all normal suggestions of work to be done, but if the agent recommends you reface all your kitchen cabinets, remodel the entire bathroom or replace all the carpets in the house at a major expense it's because they want to list the property as recently remodeled in order to justify a higher asking price. This type of behavior also encourages your local real estate tax board to increase their property taxes for the home which is not for real major remodeling but an agent's scam. The new owner won't be happy with this type of fraud.
I had a friend who bought their first home which they loved, but after two years they wanted to do some landscaping and when they called the county to obtain a permit for the work, they were told they couldn't put landscaping across a certain part of the property due to county drainage pipes being below the grass. Turned out they were being taxed on their entire property that they couldn't develop or landscape because the county-owned that land, but the agent never told them about it. When the county was invited out to discuss the situation, I happened to be there. I had gone on the MLS listing for the property and printed out what was submitted. Turned out that the property was being taxed not only for the unusable portion of the property but also for falsely reported remodeling. The previous owner said he bought new appliances, but the property came with old appliances, also the kitchen was remodeled, yet the sale brochures I found at the library showed the same kitchen that the house currently had, it was only painted. When the tax accessor saw what I had seen, they recalculated the taxes for the previous 2 years and refunded the money back to my friend. They agreed that the real estate agent had falsified the information in the system to boost their commission payment. So do your research about your own property or the property you're looking to buy before you sign on the dotted line.
In every industry, there is a standards licensing board in every state, and in the real estate industry, it's called the Association of Real Estate Licensing Officials. You can call, write to them or even go online to inquire if the agent is in good standing and if they ever received disciplinary action against them for unethical behavior. So don't be afraid of asking to see their license before you agree to work with them.
Remember you're hiring a real estate agent to work for you, but also for their experience of buying or selling homes so take their advice, but don't be afraid of questioning that advice if you've done your homework. If you tell your agent you want to sell your house for x amount of dollars and they say that's unrealistic, you better have your facts straight to back up why you chose that amount or listen to the agent who might know better than you do. After all, this is their business right, they should know what the market value of your home is in your area.
If your buying or selling your home, best of luck. If you don't know a real estate agent to work with, ask your friends or even a neighbor for a referral. Referrals are the best money can buy.
Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a
former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist.
business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride
holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out
of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in
the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is
available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms.
Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet
cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.
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