Has anyone had a Real Estate agent....

RandyWayne · #1 02-08-2008, 08:41 PM

....actually help them find a house??

Since we're moving across the country, we didn't exactly have time to shop for a good agent and basically picked the first one that fell into our laps.

Pros: She (and any agent) have keys that can let you into any home at almost any time. If your home is listed, it is just about open to any other agent who wants to show it.

Cons: Other than THAT, just about everything. She is doing squat. Gone are the days when agents helped you FIND a home (we're doing that ALL on our home), so why are they going to get 20 grand?

So..... Has anyone bought a home recently where their agent actively helped, using their knowledge of the area, find a home?

Sweet Pea · #2 02-08-2008, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

....actually help them find a house??

Since we're moving across the country, we didn't exactly have time to shop for a good agent and basically picked the first one that fell into our laps.

Pros: She (and any agent) have keys that can let you into any home at almost any time. If your home is listed, it is just about open to any other agent who wants to show it.

Cons: Other than THAT, just about everything. She is doing squat. Gone are the days when agents helped you FIND a home (we're doing that ALL on our home), so why are they going to get 20 grand?

So..... Has anyone bought a home recently where their agent actively helped, using their knowledge of the area, find a home?

Haven't used a real estate agent in a while. But I do know of one that found homes for two young couples within the past three years. She did ALL the work involved - even gave one of the couples a refrigerator when they moved in. Right now, she is actively helping one of the couples find a newer home in this "buyer's market." She is calling them with leads frequently. THEY are doing diddly squat except driving by (or looking online at pictures) and then telling her if they are interested in seeing the inside of it. Maybe you need to find a new agent. Must be really frustrating to feel as if you are doing their job....

RandyWayne · #3 02-08-2008, 09:09 PM

Ok, so apparently some of them aren't worthless. lol

The problem of course is that we're tied into a contract with her that isn't up till July -at which point we will have been there for almost 4 months.
She hasn't even been responding to any emails the last couple of days..... AND when we were in the car with her, she did nothing but talk on the cell phone.

Kae · #4 02-08-2008, 09:31 PM

We have had a few bad experiences. We had an agent sell us a house that we had to completely demolish within 3 years. We had the inspection done and he did a 4 hour inspection. He was recommended by her though.

Last year we listed our house for sale with an agent and she signed as a seller's agent. I have the paper work to prove it. Her broker insisted that they only do dual agents. This is the same broker that sold us the first home different agent. They did a few more illegal things and I could of went after them, but we got a really good agent who didn't feel it was in our best interests and he made things happen. They felt they could take advantage of us because we had moved 1500 miles away.

Right now I am looking and contacted an agent about a home. She set up a gateway for me to look at, but changed all the things that I told her I wanted because she felt she knew better. It is much easier for me to search online and to do my own looking.

If you find a good one don't let them go because they are few and far between.

Jack Shephard · #5 02-08-2008, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Ok, so apparently some of them aren't worthless. lol

The problem of course is that we're tied into a contract with her that isn't up till July -at which point we will have been there for almost 4 months.
She hasn't even been responding to any emails the last couple of days..... AND when we were in the car with her, she did nothing but talk on the cell phone.

That is what you get when you deal with a broker/agent in the Phoenix Metro area. LOL

You should have rented for a while until you found the right place right time type thing. Oh well....

pelathais · #6 02-08-2008, 09:50 PM

I hardly need an "agent" to find a shopping cart and a large cardboard box. You've gone soft and all nancy boy on us, RandyWayne.

AmazingGrace · #7 02-08-2008, 09:55 PM

We used a relocation agency thru my husbands job... it was much easier... there was no contracts with the agents... no agent fees and they did everything from hiring the mover co. to renting our temporary housing... to storing our furniture and separating what we needed for the short time in TL... They arranged the packers and unpackers... they arranged shopping support if we needed anyone on the other end to help locate new furniture for some of the things we left behind and they arranged the vehicle transportation and our pick up at the airport..

This was provided through the mil.. however we checked into the same thing when we moved without mil.. and it was not too pricey... they make the majority of their monies helping the bigger companies and military so they can charge a little less for one on one work... I would do it again in a heartbeat... they had our house sold here in 10 days and then had ours there for us in 21 days after we told them we were ready.. when we told them what we were looking for they sent us an email and I told them which of those 12 I wanted to see... they didnt even want to go with me... they told me this was a decision for us to make on our own. Gave us keybox codes and we went and then told them the one we wanted to contract on and it was done... we had to go into the office 1 time and that was to sign the deal on the house!

RandyWayne · #8 02-08-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTULLOCK

That is what you get when you deal with a broker/agent in the Phoenix Metro area. LOL

You should have rented for a while until you found the right place right time type thing. Oh well....

This is Curtis Johnson Realty. Ever hear of them? Their office is in Tempe just a few miles South/East of the Marriot "The Buttes" hotel South East of the airport.

While not exactly uneducated we ARE first time home buyers and the first and biggest mistake we made was telling her our top price. All she has shown us were homes that were at our top price even though there are plenty of homes which are just as good for a full 100 grand less. When we suggest an amount we would like to make an offer for, she is usually suggesting 20 grand less, that way they can "meet in the middle" and arrive at the "Curtis Johnson 10 grand off guarantee!". Then we come back with, "ok, we were thinking more in line with offering 60 grand off the asking price...." -after all it is the biggest buyers market in over a decade there!

Ron · #9 02-08-2008, 10:43 PM

Do your due diligence.

Real Estate Agents can be like Politicians & Lawyers.
Trust then about as far as you can throw one.

RandyWayne · #10 02-08-2008, 10:46 PM

I have realize that in the whole process of buying and selling a home there are FOUR parties: The seller, the sellers agent, the buy and the buyers agent. Only ONE of these four is interested in getting the lowest possible price. Guess which one!