Home Selling in 33442>Question Details

Jackie, Home Seller in 33442

We just received our first offer for 280,000 for the house in deerfield. The buyer will not negotiate.

Asked by Jackie, 33442 Tue Apr 1, 2008

Should we have accepted and taken the loss? Taking this offer would require us to incur debt of about 30,000 to pay the difference in the mortgage payoff and the realtor commision. My realtor said she was willing to take 5% instead of 6% which I found to be unfair since the buyer is hers and there is not a separate buyers agent. Am I mistaken in my thinking? She had said she would work with us on her fee if it came down to an offer like this, but I found the 1% concession to be ridiculous in the scheme of things. Am I missing something? We just closed on our house in NC and will be paying double mortgage payments starting in 45 days so we are getting very nervous. We were looking into the short sale process but it does not seem like we would qualify with our situation. Don't really know what do do at this point .

Help the community by answering this question:



Please, stop the drama class with the "if the boss called you into the office and said" routine .. isn't that off some cheap 1952 movie script..?

$2,800 or $230 a month...? .l.o.l.. she's taking a $119,000 hit off the sale price - and a $30,000 plug for the negative equity she's about to incur ...

If she would have gotten the proper advice from her "professional realtor" she wouldn't be in this spot ... ever think about that minor little issue.?

Besides all that nonsense, nobody in Florida is getting a 6% commish .. in her area 2 and 3% is common, and most agents are rolling towards flat fee's ...

It's a straight juice business .. her agent could argue about the $16,800 (that nobody is seeing in that market) .. or .. grab the $8600 and call it a wonderful day in the neighborhood.

Like my great grand Daddy likes to say .. "you can be a lion and you can be a tiger .. but never be a pig.."

: ^)
4 votes Thank Flag Link Tue Apr 1, 2008
If you know any realtors that will do 3% let me know , I am selling in coconut creek and can't find one. Thanks, Pat
Flag Wed Sep 17, 2014
This is precisely why "dual agency" is a morass.

If the buyer hasn't gone away yet, please contact this agent's managing broker and ask her to assign new representation to the buyers. In fact, based on your agent's, thus far, less than stellar performance regarding negotiations, you might ask her to reassign a new agent for YOU, too! See if you can resurrect that deal.

Your current agent is privy to too much inside information, for her to not "telegraph" that to the buyers. (such as... they've already closed on their home in NC.. I'm sure they'll be very negotiable" "they're paying double mortgage payments... they'll consider ANY offer")... this is, of course, highly unethical, but it does happen when agents get greedy.
3 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
Alan May, Real Estate Pro in Evanston, IL
Jackie, am going to say something here, and I hope you dont take it the wrong way. Asking a question of this nature in this forum is the stupidest thing on earth. with that said, her is my advice.


you have two choices here, you can ignore my advice and suffer the consequences later or you can heed it talk to a financial planner and then fire the agent. Remember people already saw your house and made an offer.
3 votes Thank Flag Link Tue Apr 1, 2008
Hi Jackie, it sounds like you are in a tough spot, I am sorry to hear about it. I can't address many of the details in your question as I am not familiar with your area, your home, or the specific offer you have received, but I would like to respond to the part of your question about the agent you are working with and her offer to cut her commission in the case of the current offer. You said that she had offered to work with you on her fee if this situation came up and you are questioning if the 1% drop she is offering is fair.

I have had this situation come up in my own listings several times, and in each case, 1% is exactly what I was willing to credit to my sellers. Think about the math for a minute. If you were to accept the current offer, she is willing to reduce your bill by $2,800. If your boss called you into the office and said that due to falling corporate profits the company wanted you to take a pay cut of $230 a month for the next year, how would you feel? Now think about the work involved - your agent will not have the assistance of a buyers agent following up on that side of the transaction. She will have to stay on top of the lender, the appraiser, and maybe an additional attorney. If your boss said that not only did you have to take a pay cut, but your assistant was being laid off and you would expected to do that work as well, how would you be feeling?

This buyer may not be the right fit for your situation, but your agent -in my humble opinion - is giving you a fair deal. There are agents I know who would not be so generous. Best wishes on your sale, Stacey
3 votes Thank Flag Link Tue Apr 1, 2008
Snor, you nailed it! You are not qualified to understand or interpret agency, especially not in a state other than the one you reside.

You keep using the word "representing". Transaction brokerage is a limited form of representation with no fiduciary duties towards either seller or buyer. This is clearly defined by law and spelled out in 7 points in the Transaction Broker Notice every buyer is asked to sign before setting foot into the first home for sale.

I know of some agents that will turn down buyers because they're scared they're doing something wrong having both sides of a transaction. The law is very clear about transaction brokerage - it's a no-brainer.
I don't know about you but I have no problem AT ALL to serve my sellers and buyers objectively. Dealing fairly and honestly is what is expected from me. Where is your problem with that?

HomeBuyer Myke, dual agency is illegal in Florida. I would ask to please not use those terms interchangably.
2 votes Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
I would like to go directly to the question regarding the commission. I am assuming your agent is a "transaction broker", meaning she can handle both sides of a transaction, the seller and the buyer. She will be doing her work for the seller and also her work for the buyer. Therefore, she will be asking to be paid for doing both jobs.
2 votes Thank Flag Link Thu Apr 3, 2008
I just wanted to lay out the facts regarding my question. I know nothing about real estate other than from purchasing our first home in New York in 2002. We sold that house in 2006 and made some money.

The house in Florida was purchased in 2006 for 399,000 - we realize now we overpaid, but that's what the going prices were at the time. The seller was asking for more than that.

The house in FL has been listed about 4 months and is listed at 329,000. We also have it listed as a rental.

We are moving to NC for a couple of reasons. First, I have been very sick since moving to FL with severe allergies making life unbearable here. The 2nd reason is that my husband has a job opportunity in NC.

We bought the house in NC because it was the perfect house for us and under-priced. We paid the price that it was listed at and it was still a lot less than what we thought we would be paying. Our thinking was, if it doesn't work out and we can't sell the house in FL, we can put the NC house back on the market.

The only reason we were considering short sale on the FL house as an option is because the offer we received was less than what we owe on the mortgage. I didn't know anything about it and realize it is not really meant for people in our situation.

What I really need cleared up is how the realtor commision works, buyer's agent/seller agent. If the buyer happens to be someone that contacted my agent directly than there is not a separate buyer's agent. So my thinking was, that means we only have to pay 3%. I guess I am wrong on that. I just don't get it.

The offer we received for 280,000 is totally dead now. The buyer told my agent it was a one time offer take it or not. My realtor said she thought the buyer was going to make a better offer than what she did. Also said that she feels we are priced right for the market and should wait for someone else. The house is in a good neighborhood, has a pool, fenced yard, good schools does not need any work. It's a nice house.

When I asked my realtor about re-negotiating the commision fees she said this was an isolated situation with this buyer. She expects that we will get an offer that will allow us to break even.

I realize nobody knows what's going to happen with the market. It's not her fault we are in this situation. We chose to do this the way we did. I get that. I just want to make sure we have all the facts on what can and cannot be done. I really appreciate all of the feedback.
2 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
The advice from Snor about consulting with a financial planner is excellent. Do it.

My gut reaction--not knowing what the comps are, how long your property has been on the market, your financial condition, etc.--is: Cut your losses. In retrospect, you overpaid for the Deerfield Beach property, and you've compounded that error by buying in North Carolina before selling the Florida property. We all mess up.

Now for a mini-lecture: If you have the credit to buy another property in North Carolina while still living in Florida...if you have the resources to pay the $30,000 on the sale...then you have no business considering a short sale. Don't ask the lender to pay for your miscalulations. And why should the lender let you off the hook? What sort of hardship letter would you be able to present to the lender? Nothing persuasive. Besides, do you really want to mess your credit up for the next 7-10 years?

Finally, have you considered renting out the Florida property? Even if you have a $800 a month negative cash flow (which would be very painful, admittedly), you could go for 3 years before you'd be out-of-pocket as much as selling now. By then, maybe, market conditions will have improved.

Or, if the comps suggest your property really, truly, honestly is worth $320,000-$330,000 or more, then you might keep it on the market for a bit longer.

Again, though, check with a financial planner in any case.
2 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
Don Tepper, Real Estate Pro in Fairfax, VA
Absolutely well said Elvis and you're dead on target .!

Dual agency contracts never get explained properly or accurately to consumers, probably on purpose ..

so, most consumers think they're getting a better service and saving money in the meantime going that route .. .. actually, it's more like having Lizzie Bordon as a baby sitter ..

2 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008

When I say this, I am not trying to be mean, but honest.

When you purchased your next home without selling your previous home, I am sure that you considered that this might happen. In business (any business), we call this an "opportunity cost". It is not the fault of the Realtor, who is doing her job, that the offer came in low and the buyer won't negotiate.

The Realtor has a legal responsibility to both sides in this situation, and I don't think that she is being unreasonable. By taking a 15% discount she is doing more than many realtors would. How much should she discount? 50%?

If your employer came to you and requested that you relinquish 15%-50% of your income, would you be good with that?

I do truly understand where you are at, and I hope things work out. Your Realtor is just the messenger here. Don't shoot the messenger. She did bring you an offer, after all. Maybe she busted her backside just to get them to offer!!!!!

Also, you can always reject the offer.
Web Reference: http://www.OwnGR.com
2 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
I have to chime in here. I agree with Stacey. The agent is doing their job. Buyers are in a good position. The agent could probably find them another home and not take a cut in pay. If any other agent brought the buyer we wouldn't be talking about this, right? Or was there a plan from the beginning to ask for a reduction in cost if the offer wasn't high enough? Perhaps if you wait it out you will get another offer from another agent. Will you want your agent to take a cut then as well? If you get another listing agent let them know your situation upfront and have the commission agreed upon.
2 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
Hi Jackie, I buy and sell houses in Seattle and I would never use an Agent to do both sides of the transaction. While they may do their best to be "fair", they want the transaction to close so badly that it might color their judgment. For instance, If the Agent knows you are willing to go with a lower price, they are almost certain to imply that to the buyer. It's human nature.

If you signed an agreement with the Agent, read it and see what it says about "dual agency". Some Brokers frown upon that and will see to it that it isn't in the agreement.

Also, in this day and age, your Mortgage Lender may allow you to do a "short sale" if they think it is in their best interest. Let them at least review it for you.

Strategically, since you have already closed on your new purchase; if the old lender is unwilling to do a "short sale", just explain to them that they will end up with the house. There is no reason to drag your family down the "rat hole" making payments that will only maintain the obviously untenable "status quo" of two mortgages. Yeah, it's a tough choice, but don't succumb to the thought that you can make up $30,000. There is no way to make up a $30,000 deficit, especially since they add interest to that. . The Lender will work with you. They are in this to make money, not own real estate. Your credit may get "dinged" but after 24 months of paying your new mortgage on time, you shouldn't have a problem getting future financing.
Call you lender and discuss it with them, if they don't work with you, give them the house keys and don't look back.(Oh, and by the way, next time don't buy a house until you've sold the old one!!!!)
2 votes Thank Flag Link Tue Apr 1, 2008

I remember your other posting ..

I'm sure your realtor will take 3% .. some pie is better than no pie at all.

I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about your agent here .. so my my question is, how do you know the potential buyer won't negotiate..? .. have you spoke with them personally.?

: ^)
2 votes Thank Flag Link Tue Apr 1, 2008
Myke and Snor, since you both called me out, I want to let you know that I didn't answer the question to teach you or argue and I do agree with a couple of things that you wrote, but...... You both keep saying "Duel Agency" and "Representing" both sides. This is NOT what is happening. Myke, your one simple piece of advice, is spot on, but even better, Do it face to face. This is why I said to have the Realtor do a CMA in front of her, face to face. I am not suggesting she do something that she isn't comfortable with and didn't recommend her to, but when she did the listing agreement, it states what the commission that the Realtor/Broker and the Seller agreed upon and negotiated. So, all of this info was know and accepted from day one. I also said that it is "usually" faster then in NY, where typical closings are 60-90 days out, again typical. I am from NY and I have seen them stretch 6 months, mostly because 2 lawyers either don't agree or don't have enough time to negotiate all day long to get it straight quickly, but not the only reason. I have had closings in 3 days here in FL, with a mortgage being taken, it just isn't typical. Lastly, and I am only using my past experience in the current market, 90% of the time, the buyer won't be back. In this market, they are only looking for "Great Deals" and won't budge from that original offer, not one cent. They aren't buying with their heart right now, they are buying with their wallet, which usually is a good thing and sometimes not. Meaning, if the list price is a great deal, lets say $200k and other similar homes recently sold for $220k, but the buyer, who loved the house because it was a perfect match for them, offered $170k and won't budge, this is buying with the wallet. While they were still getting a good deal, they wanted an even better deal, and thats fine, and they will probably find one somewhere, but it may not be that home. Everybody wants a deal, why wouldn't we, but sometimes they won't play out the way our minds envision, and we end up losing out on something that was perfect and priced right from the start. As they say, "One persons junk, is anothers Treasure", and real estate isn't any different. Again, most importantly, was the offer a reasonable one, that is the matter at hand? Lastly, Snors advice to fire the Realtor was the most disturbing part, as she has no true knowledge of the specific situation or the rules and regulations that guide it. Frankly, if the Realtor was fired, they may have been entitled to the whole 6% and done nothing more, per the agreement they each signed. So be careful what legal advice you give, as it may hurt someone. I am definitely done with this thread, GOOD LUCK Jackie.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
For Mr Michael Ceparano:

It sounds like from your response there that you're not much paying attention to what this woman is talking about. If in fact her agent is a "transaction broker" and is simply pushing papers and answering the phone... then why is this transaction broker giving her advice about "the next move" as you put it?
If you look closely - i got the distinct impression that's exactly what her agent was doing when she said that the offer wasn't good enough, and they're better off passing on it and holding out for something better.
Sounds like a little much for the paper pusher you described....

As for "cheaper and faster" without a lawyer - and only using agents... I don't know about that. Of all the people I know who've bought a house in the last bunch of years, the vast majority did it with thier own minds, and a decent lawyer. Most closed very quickly - one in something like 15 days. Guess it all depends on the situation.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
This thread is a perfect example of why so many realtors in this country need to find a new line of work.

Jackie - I have one very simple piece of advice for you, that will never ever let you down, in any situation.
If you do not feel comfortable with something - address it with the person. (in this case your agent).
If they do not remedy the situation in such a way that is satisfactory to you - start going higher up the food chain. Everybody answers to somebody - so get that somebody on the phone, and address the situation with them.

If you're not comfortable with Dual Agency - tell your agent you're not comfortable with that. If she starts comin down on you over it - call her boss, and tell him/her what's going on.

It's great that you're here looking for advice - but there's a lot of people telling you that you should feel lucky your agent even offered you 1% off, and gettin all offended that you don't think that's fair. Don't let anybody tell you what YOU think is fair, or what you think you're comfortable with.

Also - if i can throw my 2cents in on what the future holds - I give it about 10-15 days before your first mortgage payment on your house in NC - and all of the sudden that buyer that left 280 on the table will come back and throw 280 out there again, or MAYBE up it to 290, but ask for some sort of concession.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
If I only had a dollar for everytime I heard the same story.
Never buy home until the one you have has sold. NEVER.
You put your self in the worse position a seller can be in.
You have nothing to fall back on.
The realtor has brought you a buyer in this market?
What have other homes been selling for in your area?
I would venture to say homes pending contract and homes closed are few and far between in your area.
Your next worry should be will the home appraise for the purchase price?
Where are you getting the $30k from?
You definetly do not qualify for a short sale situation.
Did you use a realtor to purchase your new home?
That realtor should have stopped you dead in your tracks and asked you some very tough questions.
Seems like renting in NC would have made more sense.
To sum it up.
Take the offer and move on.
Sorry but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta due.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Tue May 27, 2008

Calm down!! This is a web site that buyers and sellers come to ask real estate questions, and have them answered. Jackie answered a simple question, and many of the agents below has taken the time to voice their opinions. You on the other hand seem to make it a point to bash every realtor you come across in these forums even from your past postings. It seems as though you have had a bad past experience with a realtor, and you are having a hard time getting over that.

This will be my last post for this article, even though I understand Snor will still have to reply to get his/her last word in!! That's just his/her way to vent!!

Jackie, I hope that we have helped you understand the commission situation a little better, and truly wish you the best of luck when it comes to selling your home.

Best Regards,

2nd Grader ;)
1 vote Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008
@ Chris and Michael are you guys really serious?? I dont mean to say this but i am more convinced now that you have the reasoning skills of a 1st grader. Your analogy is crappy..

Having a Agent represent you and buyer is the same as having a Attorney represent you in court and he also works as the prosecutor. His abilities to put your interest first will be clouded, not because he or she is a bad person but merely because he or she gets paid either way. Isnt your agent suppose to be working for you??? Isnt that what all you realtors say?

Can you honestly say that you represent both buyers and sellers in the same transaction? Who are you fooling.

Jackie, my grandmother always tells me, a fisherman never says his fish is smelly. With that said, asking a question of this nature, in this forum where people's job depend on sellling homes is like asking oil and gas companies to invest in green technology.

Wake up and smell the coffee, get an objective opinion, talk to an attorney, for $150.00 you will get the best advice money can buy. Pun intended.

I can wait to finish my realtor rating website, where the public gets to rate and review your performances.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008
Snor, fire your kids teacher, they are teaching more then just YOUR kid. Sadly, your misinformed on how Realtors work, and have no knowlede of what is taking place. This is not to say that the Realtor is either great or horrible, only that WE don't know the complete situation and shouldn't recommend them to fire someone. Also you have no idea about short sales either. You just don't know how to handle them, that's why they have Realtors and many Realtors still don't know them well, as I get calls all the time from fellow Realtors, asking how to do something. And maybe the most important issue, Was $280k a good offer for the home in the CURRENT market? This may be all that it is worth, or the buyer could have been someone looking for a great deal in this market, which CAN be found, be it your home or the guys down the block. Ask the Realtor to give you CMA for the past few months or longer if need be, but have them do it in front of you, so that you can see it ALL in real time, and then between you and your Realtor, make an educated decision on the offer.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008
Jackie, in all fairness, had you gotten a full price offer from a buyer brought to you by your agent would you have expected her to cut her commission then? Then I don't think it is fair to ask your realtor to pay for you misfortune. If you are unhappy with the service your agent has provided then by all means find a new realtor. Unless your agent is a broker, then she is unable to cut her commission without permission. Most likely, she has to pay a franchise fee and split her commission with the broker. There are discount brokerage firms out there, as well as brokerages that offer a flat fee listing agreement. I truly wish you the best of luck, this is a great time to buy, but a tough time to sell. I would consider the suggestion posted about renting/leasing your property until the market turns around.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008
To Snor in Brooklyn, going by Jackie's zipcode, the property in question is in Florida. Not sure how agency works in NYC but here in Florida the vast majority of agents are transaction brokers, meaning we are perfectly capable of handling both sides of a transaction. We're not representing anyone, we are merely facilitators. :)
1 vote Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008

Couple of things,
If you remotely care about your credit dont do a short sale.
re-read your contract with the current agent, am sure there is a "cooling off" period. about 30days. FIRE THE AGENT ASAP. Its impossible for her to be objective, since she is trying to represent both of you, where is her morales..

Drop the price and offer some incentives for a quick sale, plus also list to for rental. I know its tough right now but the market is rough and you made a dumb mistake.

This industry really needs someone to straighten it out. I am very serious, i am going to start programming a realtor rating website. People like this needs to be exposed so that others are aware of them.

@ Stacey, cut the crap about boss asking her to take a pay cut, it is not the same. A rather preposterous analogy if you ask me.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Sun May 25, 2008
To answer your question about how the commission works you will need to read your listing agreement. It should be spelled out very clearly - how much you are paying the broker to sell your house? Does the contract talk about reducing the commission in any scenario?

Cooperating brokers-
The listing agreement may discuss how much they are offering to other offices if they bring a buyer - but that is a separate agreement between the broker and cooperating broker. Your agreement for the 6% fee is between you and the listing broker no matter what they offer others - and you are still liable for the commission agreed to in the listing even if they are only offering a 1% payment.

Your Broker on both sides-
Some agreements have a provision for a reduced commission if your broker, or your agent, represents both parties. If your contract doesn't talk about it then they are not required to drop their rates - they were being very nice to offer to do so! If the agent didn't get their broker's approval the discount may have come completely out of their pocket - which would be much more than a 1% drop in their income from the deal.

Just so you know - most of the work and liability for a buyer's agent happens AFTER a contract is signed. I'd say 2/3 of my time is taken up by inspections and correspondence to get a buyer to closing. I don't reduce my fees when representing both sides for this reason, but some agents do.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Thu Apr 3, 2008
I don't know all the details, the previous posts have some good points.
You don't say how long your home was on the market.
You are closing on your new home, which means you are a "have to" seller, not a good negotiating position to be in, as you now see.
Without going back and trying to correct the past, let's look at what you have:
Two mortgage payments. Whatever the difference is, you do the math. Remember, the Realtor's job is to bring a buyer. What you owe, what you paid, how much you have invested into your present home, has nothing to do with the market value. The market drive the value.

I am assuming that your home has been on the market a while, you have set the price, the Realtor allowed you to do that, she may have asked for a reduction, but you were unwilling, now you have a low offer your don't like. Sounds like the market is talking and you are not listening.

The Realtor representing the buyers is a separate issue. Have the buyer work with another agent from that broker. But you need to sell, if you can resurrect this buyer, I would.

However, not knowing all the facts, the fact that your home is over-priced, or has lost value , is not the Realtor's fault. How she handled the matter is another issue that you could discuss with her broker, and probably should.
1 vote Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
Keith Sorem, Real Estate Pro in Glendale, CA
you're desperate and your agent knows it

try to look at it like this

you lose 30K on this house

but the house you are buying is probably 30K discount


good luck
1 vote Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
Dear Jackie,

As one that really understands your position and can only add one question that only you have the answer for.
Why are you selling? If the answer of keeping the house is the lessor of the loss than tell that buyer to stick it.
If an the other hand the house has been sticking it to you and will continue to do so and your financial well being is further challenged, does it pay to hang in there? Do you have other options? Have you contacted " loss mitigators" or the lender for program that are offered? Difficult questions many sellers are asking I wish the answer would be simple . In your place I would always look at the alternatives and size them up.
Good Luck,
0 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Oct 20, 2010
Michael - i'm not even going to bother to read your entire post.
If you want to nit-pick over the fact that we're saying "dual agency" instead of "transaction broker" - that's fine - but I made my point about that.
0 votes Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
It's great that our agent is willing to work with you and give back 1%, realize that as Realtors, we are the last to get paid. Everyone up to closing has been paid, the bank, the appraiser, the home inspector, etc.

As far as your offer $30,000 below, it would be cliche to say "if the buyer really wants the home then they will work with you." The truth of the matter is buyers know the market has shifted and the are playing hardball since there is so much inventory. You are the only person who knows if you can live with the offer. I've heard stories about people who turned away the ONLY offer received on their home and the house is STILL on the market.

How long has our home been on the market? How many showings per week are you getting? NAR data tells us that if your home is priced right you should be getting at least 3 showings a week and on average you should receive an offer every 10 showings. If you're seeing activity such as this then, maybe you could wait it out, but when that 2nd mortgage payment starts coming in you will really have to re-evaluate.

Hope I was of some help--Good luck.
Web Reference: http://www.shoookie.com
0 votes Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
your right, i dont. what i do understand is that its next to impossible to be objective if you are representing two people in the same transactions.

and you right again, i am not a realtor, so what? does that make me less qualified to notice when something is not right.
0 votes Thank Flag Link Thu May 29, 2008
It appears that Snor doesn't fully understand "agency" and/or "agency in Florida" and isn't a licensed real estate professional to begin with.
0 votes Thank Flag Link Wed May 28, 2008
There is NO reasoning skills required, as we aren't trying to reason with you, you don't know what you are talking about. The agent is NOT representing either of them at this point, since you don't know what you are talking about, I will briefly explain. The Realtor can either be a Single Agent, which would be them Representing one, but not both, of the parties, either the Seller or the Buyer. They could also be a Transaction Broker, which is what the Realtor currently is. They represent neither, they only basically "relay info and paperwork" They don't negotiate with opinion or advise either party as to what the "next move" is. I understand you have no idea what you are talking about, but it makes me wonder why you would answer, and then proceed to tell the professionals, in another State with different rules and regulations as yours, how to represent someone. There is also a No Brokerage Relationship, as well. This is far beyond your expertise and if you want an analogy, If the car dealer is willing to give you the same amount on your trade in, as you can get from anybody on the street, would you not sell it to the dealer, just because he is also selling you a car? Fact of the matter, most people take much less then what they could get on the open market and trade it in to the dealer. As long as the offer is reasonable for the "CURRENT Market Value" then they are getting what they can, which brings me back to the most important part of my answer. Was $280K a reasonable offer? That is the only thing that matters, not what we say or think. Lastly, we don't typically use lawyers in real estate transactions in FL, like is done in NY, which is why our closings are usually much faster and cheaper. This is not to say that I wouldn't recommend a client to seek legal advise for the sale or purchase of a home or a CPA for that matter, but the problem here isn't legal and the lawyer is not in the profession of telling clients what their home is or isn't worth. If you really wanted to find out worth, call an appraiser, not a lawyer. Good luck with your website Snor.
0 votes Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008

I wanted to try to clear things up for you a little bit about commissions. First off, EACH agent is different in the way they do business, and the way they charge their fees. I always put a condition in my listing agreements that say the following:

"If a member of The Shumaker Group is also the selling agent, then the total commissions to be paid will be 4% of the total sales price."

The reason I do this is because I personally feel that if I bring the buyer to purchase your home, I can then have full control, and know exactly what is going on with both sides of the deal. However; many agents do not look at this scenario the same as I do... Many agents look at it as though the buyers could have been taken elsewhere, and the agent could have made 3% for representing them in another purchase. This is unfortunate, but it does happen. By no means am I degrading your agent... Your agent has done their job by bringing you a buyer, however you cannot blame the agent for what the buyers have offered. This is a very tough market that we are in, and many sellers believe that the agents should reduce their commissions to get the homes sold. Per your original agreement, it sounds as though it was in writting as a straight 6-7%.

The agent isn't the one to blame! Example: If you had hired someone to put floor tile down in your kitchen for $4000. It wouldn't be right to stop them halfway through the job to ask them to reduce that amount.

Best Regards,

Chris Shumaker
Keller Williams Realty South Shore
0 votes Thank Flag Link Mon May 26, 2008

I love details.

On the offer: Based on how it was presented, it strikes me as a "I with offer a lowball price, see if they bite, and then try that trick again with the next people until I get a bite" I think you probably did ok letting that person go away.

On the commission: 2 thoughts...in addition to what I said already.

1. As a Realtor, I always think it is better for everybody involved to be represented by a different Realtor. That way there is full representation for both parties and no doubt that everybody is acting in the best interest of each side. However, you will end up paying the full commission.

2. In a dual agency situation, the benefit is that your Realtor MIGHT give you a discount. The downside is what happened to you. You feel like things should be different, commission etc.

I am sure that things will work out eventually for you. Just keep your chin up!
Web Reference: http://www.OwnGR.com
0 votes Thank Flag Link Wed Apr 2, 2008
Hi Jackie,
A short sale may be a difficult case to prove for you since you have already purchased another home.

You can get of your contract with the brokerage, but you will need to read your listing agreement to see if you have a cancellation charge. If not, there is probably language in there that you will be charged any fees that the agent has already incurred in marketing your home. I think her 1% concession is fair.

But how will that will help you? You still have a home to sell. If you intend to pursue this same buyer she has brought to the table, you will probably still be liable to pay the brokerage fee.
0 votes Thank Flag Link Tue Apr 1, 2008
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