Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject: realtor ethics?
well this may be slightly off topic but its something I have to ask. we are about to have a home built in a large community where all the prices and options are set so there really is very little to negotiate. heres the thing we found this community about a month ago and started inquiring. then last week we contacted a real estate agent but ultimately decided to build.
heres where it gets shady. we told the real estate agent about the community and he said he could help by representing us. we agreed and when we went back to look at models yesterday the agent there said our new realtor had called him 3 times. the house agent then preceeded to ask us when we contacted the realtor because they give a finders fee of 4% usually to the realtors, however he still had our contact card that clearly stated we found the home in the paper and didn't want to pay over 8k to someone who clearly hadn't done anything.
so now we are between a rock and a hard place, sice there is no negotiating to be done here do we:
A. tell the house agent that we were always working with the realtor and lie so he gets a commision.
B. tell the house agent that the realtor really didn't turn us on to this property and screw the realtor out of $8,000 that he really didn't earn?
If the realtor hasn't done anything, why should he take away the price for it? I think you should tell the agent that the realtor didn't turn you on this property.
well the $8,000 would be paid by the builder not us and would not effect the price of the home or us in any real way, however I agree that he has not done any of the leg work. we put in all the time so I don't think he deserves the money.
well I guess I need to break the news to him, but how do I do it? I wouldn't feel bad but he is a really nice guy and a fellow firefighter from another city.
silentneko
