Going to do something I have NEVER done before...

[StinkerBell]

I have to fire my real estate agent.
I have NEVER fired anyone. Well, unless you count my ex-hubby. I don't think that counts though.

[glenn kangiser]

This should be interesting...

[StinkerBell]

I am kinda afraid to post my manifesto of why I need to fire him/her. Because what if he/she finds my post? I don't want to hurt him/her or his/her reputation. But I think he/she is really incompetent and has used the friendship for not performing.

[glenn kangiser]

You don't need a friend - you need a competent agent.  Besides-- who reads CP besides us?

[StinkerBell]

I think we are going to have fire our agent, friend.
I am not sure this is going to be a pleasant thing at all. I regret, yes regret trying to give a friend business that they obviously can not complete. This is not going to be pretty at all. Ugh.

Background so you can understand. It took over two weeks (almost 3) just to get our "For Sale" sign. I called every other day asking, and would get a response "I thought they did it, I will look into it". Then finally he/she calls to say, there is this new rule (I suspect it was a very old one) that utility works need to come out and find underground lines to make sure we do not hit a line with the pole. I roll my eyes a little to this seeing the person who placed the pole hand dug it. But regardless this is something he/she should have known. The picture he/she has placed on the MSL was awful, it was dark and the other pictures are blah to say the least. That took 3 weeks to get him/her to trade the main picture with a picture I took. Also it took him/her 6 weeks to realize that my home is showing via the MLS (not the one the agents look at but the web searched based ones) via another county over. This is not entirely his/her fault it is a postal issue. However, he/she lives a few blocks away and should have known he/she needed to fix that in a way to reflect the right neighbor and the right county. I had over this time pointed out to him the house was not listing in the right area. He/She just never made the connection until one night when the hubs and I drew a map.

I have taken "Pat" out a total of 4 times in my car with my gas to see homes I have tacked down. Of course we found one we adore. I had noticed from the start about septic system and issues. We still made an contingent offer on the home understanding that our agent would find the issues (EASEMENTS) during the time allowed under contract. 9 days later we get a frantic call saying that we need to have an inspection within a day or we waive our rights to inspection, of course this did not go over at all and he/she made a call to their agent to have that done after the holidays, we got lucky cause of the holiday and the snow storm. On Dec 1, and every week since, I have asked him/her about title report I am very curious about the EASEMENT we found in paper work and possible CC&R's that seem to be indicated. He/She was dismissive, however we arranged for another look at the home cause Hubs Mom was in town. At that point I showed him what I saw on the aerial picture of the home, the neighbors septic and leech field on our future side of the property. That was 5 weeks ago. He/She thankfully did not deposit our earnest money (2,500) to the escrow/title company under my direction, that no information, no deposit becuase I need the easment information. This information alone can make us not want this home. This turned out to be a good thing seeing the branch office has mysteriously closed up and I got paper work with instruction to send my earnest money to Arizona. This was discovered two+weeks ago. He/She said he/she will use their Seattle branch, I protested and said NO, I want to use another escrow company. I do not want this company going into conservatorship with my money. It fell on deaf ears. Last week we were promised the information. Nada, but he/she called us, because the 6 weeks contingent contract is up and we need to sign a new contract. Ummmm NO, we said. We need the information BEFORE we agree. It is not fair to us and really it is not fair to the sellers if we change our mind into the second contract that there is an issue we should have known about the first week of December. We were promised a call on tuesday(last week), he/she would have the information, no phone calls yet. I finally called Wednesday . So finally get ahold of him/her on Thursday, guess what? He/she tell me he still has no info on the home.

BTW, I have information on the home up to 1972. I also have a picture taken by the county back in 1940. Information I have personally tracked down.

I want to scream. I also feel like with all these mistakes we missed a good window for selling the home. A home with less a block away sold for the same price, same size. very little updates.

This week it gets Better.

I get the information and it is HUGE. The neighbor has an easement of 4500+ square feet of prime land. For their septic needs. The septic tank that belongs to the house is 80+ years old. the leech field is the driveway and there is no land left in case it fails. I would have to go for a mound or pay 10's of thousand of dollars to dig out the toxic dirt and replace it.

So I called on another home, a block away from this one. I really like the area. I was hoping beyond hope that it was just a bad situation with that house. Already I have more information on this other house and I am getting the same run around. I asked, do you know the size of the shop (because he has computer access to things the public does not have)...I don't know......I wait hoping to hear,let me call their agent. Nada.

This is just a snap shot of the issue.



Sorry if my sentences are run ons and the horrible grammar. I think I just unloaded!

[glenn kangiser]

Boy, Stink -- that worked - It was almost like I gave you an Ex-lax.

There -- now you got that off your chest....

[glenn kangiser]

Friend or not - that person doesn't care about what you want.  Dump 'em.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Stink, it is not easy, especially if you like them personally or are friends.  It isn't personal; it's business.  That said, though, I think you have to fire them and get someone who'll listen and communicate and WORK for you.  Do you have another realtor in mind?  Ask around a bit before taking the plunge.  The good thing is that when the new realtor takes over, your house will be emailed out afresh to everyone who is looking in the area/price range, and will show up with fewer days on the market because of it being a new listing for the new realtor. 

[southernsis]

The agent may be your friend, but this person is not doing their job. Dump him/her now. The agents job is to help you everyway possible. You are doing all the work, but you are not going to get the commission. I have found out the hard way to never do business with family or friends.
List all the things that this agent has failed to do and all the things you have done, then sit down with the agent and tell him/her what you have on your list. You want your house sold and help getting another. If the agent doesn't understand this, that is just too bad. You have to look out for yourself, because no one else will.
If you decide to dump this agent and get another, interview them. They are applying for a job with you. If after asking lots of questions and you find one you like, make sure in the contract you sign with them that all of these things are covered. Getting the sign up, photos you approve of, where they are going to advertise your property.
Photos are very important. When people are looking at homes on websites a picture or pictures will be what make a person want to find out more. If they are terrible pictures, people will just pass the property by.
Don't let a friendship stand in the way of what is best for you.
Good luck

[StinkerBell]

I have an agent already lined up. She is an ANIMAL! I met her in her professional level years ago, and the hubs wanted to go with her first, but no.....Lets give our business to a friend I said 

[StinkerBell]

Hubs just left to go do the dirty deed. 

[StinkerBell]

It is done. I do not feel as icky as I thought. I feel relief.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Sure you don't!  You had him do it after all!!   (That's the way to go...have someone else do the deed... that is what we did too, only we had the relocation company dump our first really bad realtor.)  Our second one really worked her tail off to get that place sold, in spite of not being the most communicative thing in the world (and she is way too nice to be in that kind of business.)  Now that it's all said and done, you feel a ray of hope that your next realtor is going to work out and your house will be sold in nothing flat, right?

[StinkerBell]

Indeed I didn't have to do it! Hubs is much better at being the diplomat.

I am using an agent we used over a decade ago. She is a barracuda (in the most complimentary way).

[John_C]

Hubs just left to go do the dirty deed. 

Delegation of authority! Think of it as an executive decision.

[considerations]

I don't like dealing with real estate agents at all. Yuk. Ick. Phooey....   

Not to be trusted.  Do your own research anyway...