Dealing with a unprofessional real estate agent with purchasing a home

Juicyoo on 06/12/2019 - 20:05

We are now ready to make a offer on a house and we are dealing with a real estate agent that we had prior history with. About 7 years back, we wanted to purchase a home and gave an offer, only to be told by the Agent (this guy also owns the business) that he won't even give the offer to the owners as it's too low. The house sold another couple months later with another Real Estate and at a lower price than we offered. So when we found this new home that we liked, we were disappointed it was was selling with this same Real Estate but anyway we had a few inspections and each time, he asks no questions, never follows up with any calls to us or makes no contact. Once we do make contact to put an offer in, he's uninterested and then never gets back us. Super unprofessional! House has also been on the market for over one year, so just puzzled as to his methods.

Anyway, I guess it makes sense to just move on and give up on the house but I'm curious if anyone has been in this situation and if they have thought to go directly to the owners of the property and mention our situation with the Real Estate to them? It's a rental and the owner address is listed on the Contract of Sale. Or is this just totally wrong?

Thanks for your input!

Home & Garden

Comments

  • John Kimble on 06/12/2019 - 20:12
    +17

    unprofessional real estate agent

    There are professional real estate agents?!

    • Juicyoo on 06/12/2019 - 20:46

      Haha so true! But this guy is definitely different!!

  • whooah1979 on 06/12/2019 - 20:13
    +4

    he won't even give the offer to the owners as it's too low.

    The vendor has told the REA to not bother them with lowballs.

    • Juicyoo on 06/12/2019 - 20:48
      +3

      Quite possibly. I guess it wouldn't hurt him to just communicate that to us than ignore us and we could offer more. Right now, I'm probably more likely to walk away. Maybe a sign I'm not in love with it.

    • Euphemistic on 06/12/2019 - 21:37
      +2

      If that is true and he wants a commission he needs to let the buyer know what’s going on.

  • MrHyde on 06/12/2019 - 20:17
    +3

    Is the offer in writing with cash deposit, or just a verbal offer. As mentioned, he may have instructions from the vendor to not bother them with offers below a certain number.

    You could also ask someone else you know to make the offer and if accepted, on contract signing specify you as the nominee.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/12/2019 - 20:37
    +9

    Who cares what the REA thinks/does.

    Put your offer in. If the REA sucks, he loses the commision or receives a lower commision.

    Either way, why does the quality of the REA bother you? If anything you want the shittiest REA representing the vendor.

  • hawkeye on 06/12/2019 - 21:16

    Do a title search pay the money and contact the vendor independently. You'll know if it's owner occupied and know what they paid for it the year they bought it.
    In saying this if they've signed a sole contract for the real estate agent could last for 6 months but in todays times would be unlikely

    • Tee Rex Arms on 06/12/2019 - 21:29
      -2

      Vendor would love to be pestered by randoms with lowball offers. Just go through REA ffs

      • hawkeye on 06/12/2019 - 21:36
        -2

        So your the super intelligent RE who neged me must be hard to cope with two mirrors every day

        • Tee Rex Arms on 07/12/2019 - 00:06
          -1

          The phuck are you on about

      • Euphemistic on 06/12/2019 - 21:40

        If the REA isn’t sending the offer to the vendor?

  • ihbh on 06/12/2019 - 21:37

    Once we do make contact to put an offer in, he's uninterested and then never gets back us. Super unprofessional! House has also been on the market for over one year, so just puzzled as to his methods.

    What does the ad/agent say in terms of indicating price vendor is after? E.g. Offers above X.

    There's a saying in real estate: you can either get the price you want or the time when you sell, but not both. That is, if a seller hangs out for a high price, he might have to wait a long time. If the seller is in no rush, then guess what, he'll wait and wait until the right price comes in. Offer your best price and then move on if your offer is rejected. The seller might change his mind later, and even move to another agent, but then that is a future event, and you (or the seller or agent) don't have a crystal ball.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/12/2019 - 21:54

    Agents always remember low ballers.

    • hawkeye on 06/12/2019 - 22:05
      -3

      Like Chinese 1.5 billion of them. Australia and the world are you over estimating the super pompous skills of this RE.

      That's the problem with these idiots always trying to pump themselves up but really just filled with shit

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 06/12/2019 - 21:59

    It is not wrong to approach the vendor directly however they would have likely signed an exclusive real estate agreement for a certain period, usually 3-6 months, meaning that IF the property was sold during that period (even if the vendor sold it to a family member privately for example) the real estate agent would likely have a legal right to the entire commission per the contract.

    If you do approach the vendor directly, in your offer you must be willing to put a x% deposit and you are willing to waive your right to a cooling off period. When we sold two properties in 2017/18 we would only consider offers IF the prospective purchaser was willing to waive their cooling off period, that means, the property is sold, there is no turning back and if they fail to settle, they would lose their deposit.

  • miwahni on 06/12/2019 - 22:04
    +1

    I'm actually concerned by your comment that the property has been on the market for more than twelve months. Is the vendor reluctant to meet the market (ie expectations too high) or is there something wrong with the property that a building inspection will uncover? If it's the former, then any offer you make that is under the asking price is likely to be refused. If it's the latter - run away. Now.

    • brad1-8tsi on 09/12/2019 - 09:27

      probably unrealistic / stupid vendor.

      My (ex)inlaws had their property for sale for 3 (it might have been 5 years) and then pulled it off the market.

      • Had it at $1.1m for 3 years. This price appeared to have been pulled out of their anus.
      • Wouldn't put a For Sale sign out the front as "we don't want the neighbours to know we are selling". But they also happened to be on the back road into town, so 600 cars a day also didn't know they were selling.
      • Non-exclusive listing with multiple agents
      • House was immaculate but they couldn't get the message that a 25 year old bathroom is still a 25 year old batheroom even if it's never been used.
      • Large property with a "gardeners garden" that required about 30 hours a week maintenance. They didn't understand that wasn't everyone's idea of paradise.
      • Dropped the price to $885,000 for 2 years.
        In that 5 year period they had 2 inspections. They are 10 minutes drive outside 2 popular regional towns with a combined population of 13,000 that swells to 30,000 in the xmas period.
  • johndowy on 06/12/2019 - 23:32
    +1

    Go though an agent. A buyers agent. Then there won't be much or any contact with the listing agent.

    • ihbh on 07/12/2019 - 10:08

      At what additional cost?

  • Cheeper on 07/12/2019 - 02:58

    Try a buyers agent or try to contact the owner. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
    I know rea's are a pack of %&*#@ as I recently sold a house and they tried to do a couple of silly things during the process… :-(

  • Meho2026 on 07/12/2019 - 06:02

    The REA is required to present all offers to the vendor unless the vendor has given the REA specific instructions that they will not accept offers below a certain price.
    You could challenge the REA and ask them if they have presented your offer to the vendor and mention that they are legally required to do so.
    If the property is owner occupied or you are able to find out the owners address, you could write to them and say you want to buy their property but the REA is refusing to present your offer.
    Never let a REA intimidate you.

  • bloom on 07/12/2019 - 08:14

    Had a similar situation for my house.
    Just go to their office and say "I'm here to make a formal offer on X.
    You'll get the forms… done

  • TNTomer on 07/12/2019 - 08:26

    One option is to contact the REA's branch manager. Check what branch they work for and contact the manager of the branch, they may be able to facilitate your offer if you politely explain that the agent is unresponsive.

    • whooah1979 on 07/12/2019 - 08:33
      -1

      The buyer is wasting REA and vendor’s time with lowballs. Contacting the proprietor is going to waste their time too.

      • TNTomer on 07/12/2019 - 08:35
        +1

        While that may be the case, if the REA doesn't make it known, that the offer is too low and not in range of the indicative price, then I feel it is still warranted.

  • crashloaded on 07/12/2019 - 10:36

    The owner could be giving instructions of minimum offers to be contacted for.

    I had a similar experience recently with a property going to auction. Offered 475k to the agent. Agent came back saying owner won't consider anything under 500 prior to auction. Sold at auction for 425. I couldn't bid at auction as didn't have the pre approval yet.

    • RotundPolarBear on 07/12/2019 - 10:56

      Damn that sucks. Bad for you, and bad for the vendor.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/12/2019 - 11:02

    What's the ramification of circumventing an agent? Say you knock on the front door on a weeknight, make an offer, and keep the agent out of the loop. Seems like everyone is a winner. Vendors don't have to pay commission, only advertising, buyers get to pay less.

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