cael
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Post by cael on Dec 12, 2015 14:29:10 GMT -5
So I want to get a wide variety of opinions on this because I'm irritated I'm getting bothered about it. DH and I decided quite a while ago that when we start looking at houses, we do not want to use a realtor we or my parents know. We have two realtors at my church who my parents know well, and my mom is pushing that we use the one couple since she says they'd be personally invested in not screwing us. She thinks someone we don't know is way more likely to screw us. I think that's bull, because if I do the research and talk to people around town about who they like and don't like, I highly doubt someone in town with good past business will screw us. The couple at my church my mother is pushing actually gave my friend (who also knows them) a pretty bad experience they felt hurt their sale (that fell through), and they let the contract expire and don't want to use them again. I just feel better using someone I don't know because if something does go badly, I won't feel badly about letting a contract expire or not using them again in the future.
What are your guys' opinions on this? I'm just irritated because my damn mother won't let up, and it's fine she has her opinion, but I have mine and I'm pretty much made up on it, so she needs to STFU. Am I just being stubborn or is it a good idea to not use someone you have a personal relationship with?
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Dec 12, 2015 14:53:37 GMT -5
I would interview three real estate agents just like you would if you were a seller. Be up front that you are interviewing other real estate agents. You and your husband have to "click" with the person.
Blame your husband if you pick someone other than your mom's friend. That's what spouses are for!
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Dec 12, 2015 15:10:12 GMT -5
I guess it depends on how you define "being screwed" and how involved you will be in the house buying process.
I think you should go with a realtor YOU feel comfortable with. I'm also a big advocate for doing your homework about the houses/area you are looking at - so you don't have to trust the realtor 100% for 'judgement' kinds of things. - you'll know when they are glossing over something (like the devoid of furniture living room that LOOKS huge but odds are your furniture won't fit in) or not mentioning something - like how this is the only house with an X and when you go to replace it because it's already a bit worn out - the new city codes will make you upgrade/replace it with Y (which will be WAY more expensive) .
The worst realtors I've dealt with were down right 'pushy' or realtors who didn't realize/didn't want to cope with me finding the houses that I was interested in. I just needed the realtor to do the 'realtor' work - that I couldn't do - I didn't need them to hold my hand or go thru every house with me or direct my attention away from the property's falts. I could do that on my own. I needed them to just stay out of the way.
I've also NEVER had much play in how much I could afford - I knew how much I could spend and I could guesstimate how much 'work' a house would need. If I had 100K to spend - that meant I couldn't buy a 100K house that needed 30K in work. I could buy a 70K house that needed 30K in work. Or, I might spring for a 100K house that just needed 'decorating' painting and cleaning and maybe a few minor things (new faucet or light kit) Yet, I've had realtors keep showing me 100K and up houses (in need of repair - not just 'decorating')
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Dec 12, 2015 15:17:32 GMT -5
Another good thing to remember is that the realtor isn't looking out 100% for your best interest... they want to get paid. You are PAYING them to help you and you have to watch out for your own best interest. I'm NOT dissing realtors or even hinting that they are "out to get you and your money" - I'm just reminding you it's NOT a social interaction. It's a business interaction. Even if it totally feels like a social interaction.
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wmpeon
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Post by wmpeon on Dec 12, 2015 15:20:25 GMT -5
Any real estate agent worth their salt is not out to "screw" their own clients, since so much of their work relies on referrals.
I interviewed 3 agents, and tried to learn their personality and how they would advocate for me. I went with the one who I felt most comfortable with, who would provide a bit of hand-holding (I was a first-time buyer), and one that had experience buying & selling condos (I purchased a town home).
It was great having friends who had family in the industry, because they provided advice throughout the process. But because I hadn't hired them, it was their honest advice and they weren't balancing what to say against being able to make a sale.
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cael
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Post by cael on Dec 12, 2015 15:47:55 GMT -5
thanks for weighing in, guys. I really thought getting good referrals and talking to people/doing my homework to make an informed decision was the best way to go... I still think it is. Interviewing some agents before selecting one is a good idea too. And yeah, I realize their primary goal is to get paid, not develop a personal relationship - which is a reason I would think they'd do their best for the clients, because then a) client buys and they get paid, and b) client refers friends.
I feel I'm pretty prepared to be firm on what we can/can't afford since I'm cheap and so anxious about money, so that end of "pushy" from an agent I'm not super worried about. I know how to say no. Hopefully I'm moderately prepared.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Dec 12, 2015 16:21:45 GMT -5
The "pushy" comments made me laugh and reminded me about a certain client that I had when I was selling real estate almost <gulp> 35 years ago.
He was an older man who had sold a downtown San Diego office property in 1982. Of course the residential market was pretty slow because interest rates were still in the 17% range. <Don't forget that you whippersnappers!> There were some good bargains but those you really needed to jump on because there were plenty of bargain hunting cash buyers. My client missed out on a really nice house which went under contract shortly after we looked at it.
He blamed me because "I didn't make him buy it".
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cael
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Post by cael on Dec 12, 2015 16:52:33 GMT -5
LOL, because clearly it was your responsibility to force him to make an offer and you failed in that. People are weird.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Dec 12, 2015 17:41:33 GMT -5
I would interview and see who you meshed with. It could be someone you are spending a lot of time with, more so than an agent selling your house.
When we bought our first house in 1988 we spent a LOT of time looking at houses, and our agent was really good working with us and in helping with negotiations.
When we bought last Jan, or agent was OK, nice guy but just kind of did what we asked not much more, then complained that he didn't get full commission since it was some deal with our relo company, but not my problem
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2015 17:41:59 GMT -5
IMO, what you really need on the buying side is someone who knows the market. With so much moving to the Internet, you and DH will be able to preview tons of houses based on YOUR criteria, and then give your short list to a realtor. We even did drive-bys of some in the immediate area before forwarding them to the realtor- it saved a lot of time going through places where the street was too noisy, the house was in poor condition, etc.
Ours was great with the negotiations and that’s the hard part. If they know the market, they can tell you whether the house is priced right, whether there are likely to be multiple bidders, etc. It can save you overpaying, or making a lowball offer and losing the deal.
Definitely get recommendations. The one time DH used a husband-and-wife team from his church to sell his house, they made a lot of happy noises about how they’d price it right and sell it fast, and after 6 months and several price reductions he let the contract expire and found another realtor.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Dec 12, 2015 18:12:20 GMT -5
LOL, because clearly it was your responsibility to force him to make an offer and you failed in that. People are weird. Realtors have mystical powers. They control who gets the 'good houses' and gets the 'not so good houses'. They can see the future and know exactly what house you should buy. They also strongly effect how much you pay for the house if they like you they can get the price reduced by tens of thousands of dollars - but if they don't like you (or think they can take advantage of you) the price will be tens of thousands of dollars more. Realtors have power. That's all sarcasm...every word. But, I swear some people give realtors a lot more 'power' and 'authority' then they should. Sometimes house buying is more about knowing what you are willing to settle for and some luck or timing. The 'right' house becomes available at the 'right' time for the 'right' price.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Dec 12, 2015 19:16:02 GMT -5
Ask your insurance agent. I know plenty of realtors I would feel very comfortable referring my clients to. I also know some I would tell them to steer clear of.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2015 21:55:08 GMT -5
My husband and I have talked about this subject. There are days (ok, months) when we would like to quit being homeowners. Last time we talked about it, we talked about potential realtors. When I bought this house, the seller, of course, had a realtor. She lived across the road. I didn't have a buyer's agent. I saw the house, liked it, and made an offer. The offer was contingent on my selling my then-house. So she became that agent as well. She did sell the house at a good price. I really didn't look closely at her commission because I thought it was standard, but it was 7.5% instead of the usual 6%, which is what she charged the seller who sold me the house. But the sale happened, and I don't hold that against her. I should have negotiated. However, she has since moved to another house she owns and left her house to be occupied by her son and some of her grandchildren. Junkyard. Three junk cars. Meanwhile she was trying to sell the house behind us for FIVE years. We have tried to be good neighbors, but it hasn't worked out well Another neighbor called the city council representative to have the yard cleaned up (toilets, etc.). They rented a dumpster and moved one of the cars into the woods. I am sure they think it is us because they already dislike us, and we are the nearest neighbor. That is ironic because we are so "live and let live." I don't let any of this particularly stress me. But when DH and I were having our latest conversation about selling, we both agreed that there was no way we would let her represent us. She didn't clean up her own yard in the five years the other house was on the market! I cannot believe that. But it will be a slap in her face and her adult kids (50s) across the road. The kids already don't like Dh (and probably me but less me). This will be the ultimate insult. See? Don't you feel better about your choices:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2015 22:47:28 GMT -5
I can tell you who not to use ever!!! I'll PM you her name. I will say she is with the agency in Danvers that bbegins with a C and ends with a Y21 on High Street. Stay away. I will never recommend them.
Gee, do the pushy ones work for Coldwell Banker and are named Cindy and John (I think his name is)?
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cael
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Post by cael on Dec 12, 2015 23:09:06 GMT -5
LOL empress, do you watch Modern Family? One of the recent episodes Phil starts talking about his first job at a terrible place, which he would not name but said started with C and ended with twenty-not-very-fun (something like that lol) (I know exactly who you're talking about! I will put them on the "list"... the naughty list )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2015 23:16:37 GMT -5
I will recommend Keller Williams at the Cummings Center. Our second realtor worked there. They are ok. Rob is a nice guy.
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moneymaven
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Post by moneymaven on Dec 13, 2015 0:21:22 GMT -5
Ask your insurance agent. I know plenty of realtors I would feel very comfortable referring my clients to. I also know some I would tell them to steer clear of. That's interesting. Being in the business myself, I'm much more apt to knowing mortgage brokers than realtors. But my focus is largely on commercial versus personal lines.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 13, 2015 6:01:55 GMT -5
I liked mine. She said I could get 20k more for my house than I thought, and she was right!!
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Dec 13, 2015 8:48:36 GMT -5
Ask your insurance agent. I know plenty of realtors I would feel very comfortable referring my clients to. I also know some I would tell them to steer clear of. That's interesting. Being in the business myself, I'm much more apt to knowing mortgage brokers than realtors. But my focus is largely on commercial versus personal lines. I know some of those too. And financial advisors etc. My focus has always been personal lines, but I am going to be expanding my horizons and starting with commercial lines soon! Yay!
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moneymaven
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Post by moneymaven on Dec 13, 2015 10:39:29 GMT -5
That's interesting. Being in the business myself, I'm much more apt to knowing mortgage brokers than realtors. But my focus is largely on commercial versus personal lines. I know some of those too. And financial advisors etc. My focus has always been personal lines, but I am going to be expanding my horizons and starting with commercial lines soon! Yay! Good for you! I'll do PL if I have to, to help a client or round an account, but I hate it. So much hand holding and work for low pay off. I love the commercial side.
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Dec 13, 2015 10:42:13 GMT -5
I would go with one that is not so "famous" in the area. If his/her name is plastered on billboards and buses then they are already famous enough not to care because of that "I'm the man!" feeling that one gets. Try one that is up and coming, trying to prove that they can play with the big boys and wants to make a name. I'd still make it very clear that "you work for me!" And you do what I say, when I say and how I say! They'll be eager to please and add you as a reference for future customers. Just make sure they understand that too. Always seek his/her advise/take on the issue.
And use as inspectors for the potential property people that are not on the list provided to you by the sellers agent, independent contractors, people that are doing it for a living. Remember that you are looking for a professional opinion not a piece of paper that says that they are certified to inspect. For that mater I'd use a carpenter/framer, mason, electrician/plumber and only if necessary a drywaller or roofer. there are carpenters/framers that also do masonry, drywall and roofing. Most of plumber dabble in electric too so they have a pretty good understanding of what's going on. Pick them from the local phone book list under "general contracting" and "plumbing"
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Dec 13, 2015 10:48:08 GMT -5
I'm not entirely convinced that who you choose as buyers' agent matters nearly as much as how much you educate yourselves about homebuying prior to signing with someone. I heartily recommend reading Home Buying for Dummies or a similar manual several weeks or months prior to getting a buyer's agent. A lot of the stuff in there takes a while to sink in.
I used my agents (husband and wife team) to get into houses and to write the offer. Maybe things would have been different if I was buying with another person or planning on having kids but I didn't ask them many questions because I really didn't want to expose myself to salesmanship.
Perhaps the best buyers' agent to choose is one that you want to be your sellers' agent a decade in the future.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Dec 13, 2015 11:14:50 GMT -5
I know some of those too. And financial advisors etc. My focus has always been personal lines, but I am going to be expanding my horizons and starting with commercial lines soon! Yay! Good for you! I'll do PL if I have to, to help a client or round an account, but I hate it. So much hand holding and work for low pay off. I love the commercial side. I'm a warm and fuzzy "need to be needed" type. I love personal lines. But the commercial side is going to be a bigger premium, so I'm excited. Plus, someone who has everything with you is less likely to leave you.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Dec 13, 2015 13:24:23 GMT -5
Biggest mistake I ever made when it came to selecting a realtor to sell a house was using the daughter of my parents' friends. She didn't price the house correctly to get it to sell, so it sat on the market too long. That is one I would like to have back. I learned a lot from that mistake.
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cael
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Post by cael on Dec 13, 2015 18:47:59 GMT -5
I would go with one that is not so "famous" in the area. If his/her name is plastered on billboards and buses then they are already famous enough not to care because of that "I'm the man!" feeling that one gets. Try one that is up and coming, trying to prove that they can play with the big boys and wants to make a name. I'd still make it very clear that "you work for me!" And you do what I say, when I say and how I say! They'll be eager to please and add you as a reference for future customers. Just make sure they understand that too. Always seek his/her advise/take on the issue. And use as inspectors for the potential property people that are not on the list provided to you by the sellers agent, independent contractors, people that are doing it for a living. Remember that you are looking for a professional opinion not a piece of paper that says that they are certified to inspect. For that mater I'd use a carpenter/framer, mason, electrician/plumber and only if necessary a drywaller or roofer. there are carpenters/framers that also do masonry, drywall and roofing. Most of plumber dabble in electric too so they have a pretty good understanding of what's going on. Pick them from the local phone book list under "general contracting" and "plumbing" So don't use Phil Dunphy in other words? but funny thing about that, the people at church my mother is pushing me to use are big in the area and I have seen at least one billboard! lol. I should be able to get a list of good inspectors to consider from the building inspectors at work, they would never send me to someone who wouldn't do a good honest job.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Dec 13, 2015 19:37:51 GMT -5
I would go with one that is not so "famous" in the area. If his/her name is plastered on billboards and buses then they are already famous enough not to care because of that "I'm the man!" feeling that one gets. Try one that is up and coming, trying to prove that they can play with the big boys and wants to make a name. I'd still make it very clear that "you work for me!" And you do what I say, when I say and how I say! They'll be eager to please and add you as a reference for future customers. Just make sure they understand that too. Always seek his/her advise/take on the issue. And use as inspectors for the potential property people that are not on the list provided to you by the sellers agent, independent contractors, people that are doing it for a living. Remember that you are looking for a professional opinion not a piece of paper that says that they are certified to inspect. For that mater I'd use a carpenter/framer, mason, electrician/plumber and only if necessary a drywaller or roofer. there are carpenters/framers that also do masonry, drywall and roofing. Most of plumber dabble in electric too so they have a pretty good understanding of what's going on. Pick them from the local phone book list under "general contracting" and "plumbing" Our realtor selling our house was a great source of people who did repairs to the house we were selling. She gave us names of people who did good jobs at very reasonable rates. When we bought our house last Jan. Our buyers agent gave us a list of inspectors and said he was not allowed to recommend one. But we knew no one in the area we were moving to so asked him to point to one on the list and we wouldn't tell the inspector did a good job for us.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Dec 14, 2015 13:14:08 GMT -5
LOL, because clearly it was your responsibility to force him to make an offer and you failed in that. People are weird. If the agent your mom wants already made someone to lose a deal...what else to ask?
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janee
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Post by janee on Dec 14, 2015 14:21:00 GMT -5
It's really your mother you have to manage. Seems like you're doing your homework. Just tell her, "Mom, I love getting your advice, but I'm not going to follow it this time. I don't want to use a friend or family connection because I don't want to mix business with pleasure. If something goes wrong, I don't want you or me having to avoid making eye contact at church. Or have them telling others my business or problems."
You've got a good reason for doing what you want to do, just communicate it nicely to your Mom and I'll bet she'll back you up.
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cael
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Post by cael on Dec 14, 2015 14:55:39 GMT -5
It's really your mother you have to manage. Seems like you're doing your homework. Just tell her, "Mom, I love getting your advice, but I'm not going to follow it this time. I don't want to use a friend or family connection because I don't want to mix business with pleasure. If something goes wrong, I don't want you or me having to avoid making eye contact at church. Or have them telling others my business or problems."
You've got a good reason for doing what you want to do, just communicate it nicely to your Mom and I'll bet she'll back you up. Exactly. Yeah, I was super irritated because she just wasn't dropping it. I mean, calling me stubborn? I made this decision independent of her ages ago without any input either way from her, but since I'm not doing what she thinks I should do, I'm being stubborn. She knows everything, don't ya know? if she brings it up again I'm just going to have to tell her I'm not having the conversation again.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Dec 14, 2015 16:49:37 GMT -5
I got burned with our last realtor. He was one of the highest rated in our area, recommended by multiple people, but when things went bad (we put an offer on a house that had 50,000 in tax liens on it) our realtor didn't let us know what was going on. Kept calling us to move the closing date back but didn't tell us why. Finally I contacted our mortgage company to see if they knew why the documents weren't in order and she spilled the beans. I called the admin for our realtor and demanded to know why the realtor hadn't told us already, and the admin apologized and said he had known for a while but didn't want to 'worry' us.
We had to contact him ourselves to find out what was going on, and when we did, he got snippy about it, insisting everything was going to be fine and the deal was going through. Even yelled at my DH when DH questioned him about it. Turns out, the deal did NOT go through (seems the IRS really wanted that lien paid off and the home owner couldn't scrape up the cash or a loan) and there we were, homeless, because we'd already sold our house and moved out. With two cats and a kindergartener. And our realtor suggesting we just put our stuff in storage and live in a hotel while we waited for the home owner to try to negotiate with the IRS to get his lien lifted.
Our realtor was NOT on our side. After the deal was dead we found another realtor and bought our current house. I suppose at some point I'll have to sell it and move again, but I'll have the paperwork reviewed by a real estate attorney this time. The contract our realtor had us sign greatly favored the home seller over us. We ended up screwed out of a couple thousand dollars.
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