There’s an old saying in real estate: Buyers are liars. I don’t personally think it’s true. I think it’s ignorance. Some buyers just don’t know what they don’t know.

Case and point. My realtor wife is in her final GRI class since starting in February. The GRI is a respected designation for realtors. So she’s been working with out of state buyers for months on new home. Closing set for Thursday, her second to last day of GRI class. Lender says home in flood zone. Flood insurance is over $5,000 per year?? Developer says no way. FEMA remap is wrong. Who knows. We advise our client not to buy property. Too much risk. Wife shows client numerous other options in great neighborhood. We both were up two nights in a row past 11:00 texting, Excel spreadsheets, and working things out. Client decides on house, says to write a K on house. We start process. In 30 minutes they text a stop. Found another house in neighborhood they want to see.

Client says they are going to model home to find listing agent to show them the house. What! I tell wife to call buyer immediately and tell them they will screw her out of a commission if they do that. Because listing realtor will have procurement cause. Or leave class right now and take final exam later. Buyer understands, agrees to wait until she takes final exam meets them later. Acknowledges how terribly hard wife has worked for them and doesn’t want her to lose commission. They just didn’t realize what they were doing. Whew.

I am the broker. And my wife’s partner. We are a team. But I mostly appraise residential and commercial real estate. I do not work with any brokerage client unless they sign an exclusive with me. Period. I am not going to work my tail off to earn your trust by applying my extensive and unmatched education, experience, expertise, analysis, interpretation, talent, software skills, and knowledge, only for you to view another property with another agent and lose a commission. Ever. Period.

Buyers:

• Do NOT screw your Realtor out of a commission by viewing homes without her/him. Ever! It is an awful, unethical, immoral, terrible thing to do.
• If you are unhappy with your realtor and want to change, have the courage, decency, integrity, and professionalism to tell them why. It may just be a poor fit. Nothing wrong, just wrong fit.
• You don’t pay a commission – the seller does.
• Don’t let your Realtor down!

BBQ: “You cannot have a little Integrity or a lot of Integrity. There is no sliding scale for Integrity. You either have it or you don’t.” by Rosemary Greco

BLT: Don’t let me Down by Bad Company