How Could It Be Wrong
The listing agent totally freaked out because I hired the wrong inspector. “I’ve been doing this 23 years.” Oh brother. Here we go again. “He’s a lunatic.” Well, I don’t exactly like the guy either. “I’ve watched his mind deteriorate over the years.” Uh-oh. A little arrogant? Sure. Crazy? Nah.
I’m not looking for the guy that won’t find anything. Or the one who will help keep the deal together. “I hire Abacus Inspections; they never find anything.” Ever heard that one?
Then she says, “He always finds stuff.” Uh. Yeah. I want him to find stuff.
When It Feels So Right
FYI: This house is in a pocket where it’ll likely sell in two weeks, multiple offers, over asking. And it’s priced right.
She says the sellers are living in a hotel. They wrote an offer on another house. And the wife just quit her job. What am I supposed to do with all that? Beat the crap out of her – through negotiation, of course.
I realize she needs a paycheck- everybody needs a paycheck – but geeze you don’t have to throw the sellers under the bus to get one.
Matt Wilkins
November 3, 2008 at 10:38 am
True story: a home in my subdivison went on the market about a year ago. I ahppened to cath the agent putting up her sign riders. I asked her the lit price (was not in MLS yet) and her answer caused he to pause for a moment. She then admitted it was high and proceeded to basically blab to me the sellers’ general situation.
A few months later I was talkingwith my next door neighbor. She had call the agent regarding the overgrown lawn. The agent also told her the seller’s situation.
The house switched agents once and never sold. The owners moved back inot the home this month.
Personally I feel that even if the seller’s give you as their agent/broker permission to disclose your situation, disclosing it to anyone doesn’t really affect its sale. Buyer’s are interested in the house not the people who own it.
Robert Masse
November 3, 2008 at 10:43 am
Not sure how you represent the buyer…via buyers agent or some other agency, but here in Florida, it would be my dutty to the buyer to let them know all the facts of the seller…so yes, even though I would not want to beat up the seller, I would have to if the buyer wanted to. Other than that, hear that all the time as well. My inspector I have been dealing with for a few years now, very thorough, always finds something which I expect to happen. After all, I dont want to be held responsible if something was there and he found nothing just to keep the deal together. My reputation and the client are higher up the food chain than my paycheck. A couple of bad comments and I will have no more paycheck!
Vicki Moore
November 3, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Matt – Negotiation is the cornerstone of our job. How in the world is that agent going to do anything positive for the sellers when she’s shown everyone the cards she’s holding?
Robert – I don’t just walk to the buyers with this information – I run.
Paula Henry
November 3, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Vicki – Our buyers pay an inspector to determine the condition of the propery they are buying. To lead them to an inspector who will protect our paycheck is just wrong.
For the rest of the story – well – the sellers never know what went wrong – kind a sad really. An agent who will give away all their information will also tell them the reasons they should accept this contract and do ALL repairs and just be happy they have a buyer.
Missy Caulk
November 3, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I think we all have inspectors in our area’s that nit pick, but it is the buyers choice who they chose not ours. I would rather the buyers know up front than after move in date.
Matthew Rathbun
November 3, 2008 at 9:57 pm
“Represent YOUR client, and I’ll represent mine…not the transaction.” Worked for me everytime.
I also find that everytime an agent tells me their years of experience, it’s typicall their first year over and over again. True professionals with experience and wisdom know that the industry changes too often to claim that experience from 20 years ago counts for anything today.
Vicki Moore
November 3, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Paula – Agents in my area have been getting both the property and the pest inspection ahead of time thinking that it will move things along faster. Problem is the buyer isn’t present so they can’t hear what they inspector is saying as they’re making their way around the house.
In this case the first inspector didn’t see that a window wasn’t even finished. I found it which gave me a red flag to have the buyer get another inspection.
Missy- Absolutely. Find out now during negotiations.
Matthew – When an agent says I’ve been doing this for 20 billion years all I can think is: who are you trying to convince?
Found out later that she thought I said 4 years – not 10. She thought she was going to railroad me. Nah-ahh. Not this kid.