Let’s face it: When your house goes on the market, you’re not only
opening the door to prospective buyers, but also sometimes to unknown
vendors and naive or unqualified buyers. As with any business
transaction, there is an expected protocol to how sellers, buyers and
their respective agents interact. Should you find yourself in a sticky
situation, alert your agent so he or she can address and remedy the
problem.
The aggressive agent
When your agent puts your house
on the market, typically all promotional materials state clearly that
your agent is the primary contact for buyers and buyers’ agents.
However, sometimes a buyer’s agent will contact a seller directly to try
to either win over their business or cut the seller’s agent out of the
deal. This is not reputable behavior and you should report it to your
agent immediately if it happens to you.
The unscrupulous vendor
Have
you ever started a business or moved into a new house and suddenly
found your mailbox full of junk mail? Unfortunately, this also can
happen when you put your house on the market. When you sell your home,
it necessitates all kinds of new purchasing decisions and
less-than-ethical vendors are keenly aware of this. Though MLS
organizations enforce rules on how posted information is used, some
companies have found ways to cull information from various sources to
produce mass mailing lists. If you find yourself regularly emptying your
mailbox of junk, let your agent know. He or she can tap the appropriate
sources to prompt an investigation into the matter.
The naive buyer
Yard
signs, Internet listings and other advertisements can generate a lot of
buzz for your home. Some prospective buyers – particularly first-timers
– will be so buzzed to see your home that they’ll simply drop by. If
this happens, no matter how nice these unexpected visitors are, it’s
best not to humor their enthusiasm by discussing your home or giving an
impromptu tour. Instead, politely let them know that your real estate
agent is in charge of scheduling tours and provide them with the agent’s
contact information. If you attempt to handle these surprise visits on
your own, you might inadvertently disclose information that could hurt
you during negotiations down the road.
