Buyers2009,

I empathize with your situation, I am going through a similar situation with a dishonest realtor. I wont go into detail because I'm sure it will devolve into this same cat- fight between realtors that I have seen here as your so-called responces. It started out with people trying to give a decent responce but quickly turned into a series of snipes and trust me I read them all. No doubt I will receive the same or similar jibes. Take the first and only piece of advice that is to contact the agent's broker/managing office and start your complaint there, good luck and know that a realtor cannot hold you hostage or demand compensation for time, thats the nature of the job, he/she gets paid only if they sell or find you a house.

The reason people lie can be defined why this country has or still is, going down the tubes.

Buyerseller09-Best wishes for excellent success and prosperity. -Angela

Yolanda, thank-you for the kind words.

Buyer I honestly do hope all goes well for your friend and admire the fact that you have spent so much time and worked so hard to help them..YOU are the one that had it right all the time in my opinion, to make the process work and for your friend to attain his goals, asking and learning is the key. Kudos to you...You stuck with it and us so I know your friend has a true friend.

To all who contributed in this thread (and I mean all) everyone learns by participating in these questions/conversations that take place without self-promotion or self-serving goals and I always consider myself lucky to learn each day that there are so many who are Proud of their Profession and that there are those (on other threads) in other professions or that have life experiences that contribute so much of their time to help. It's a wonderful thing to see and be a small part of.

Many times there are differences of opinion or ways of seeing things but the fact that they can be shared in a civil way with a common motivation (to help) can only help us all learn, to learn how to be better Professionals for some, to better understand the feeling/concerns of consumers for others and for some like me to learn that in a world that can often discourage a person that Good people with good intentions can still make a difference.

I hope to see each and every person in this thread often here at Trulia and consider each and every person in this thread to be motivated by the same thing (to help).

That Ramblin Man, Dunes

Hi, all! I'm commenting again only because I read my comment, (and others as well) quoted out of context in the thread. Instead of going tit for tat, I'll take the high road and let the sleeping dog lie.

However, I'd like to say kudos to the excellent advice given here, and a special thanks to Dunes whom ever so delicately pointed out that I needn't be sorry to have contributed. Angela, thanks for your stance, and Debbie's empathy. Great crew and hope to see all of you again!

To Buyerseller09 - you received great answers and advice - hope you and your friend find that great home through the help of a great agent. Best of luck!

Buyer - I am glad to hear that you appreciate the help we have tried to provide here on this thread.
I am sure i can speak for many here when I say I wish you, and your friend many good wishes, and a happier experience in the future........... ......hope he finds a home, and is able to proceed smoothly to a closing

Good luck..........
Best regards,
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

Thanks to everybody. Some doubted that this is a story. Believe me it is a fact. I'm learning a lot and yet to find a house for the person. He/she is from PA (On the mainline - Philadelphia suburbs in case this bursts out) and the agent is either from PA/DE. I want to stop here. We are here to help each other - not to put someone in trouble, but taking care of myself/friend in a kind of new world to us.

I salute all of you for educating and correcting..We will move on..with you and your blessings..there is no reason to reveal the name.. who knows Internet (or the ISP provider to me) may findout.. that is ok. You heard the story on CNN - ISP provider leaked the address...

By the way...I stand by all of the posters who posted in this thread.

p.s. I noticed you primarily copied and pasted my comments. So....let's see what you've got sis.

I stand by my posts as I posted them, giving the information at the time I gave them.

Irene, just keep in mind, it's always easy to come in after the fact and assess the whole picture. Once you have all the puzzle pieces, you can surely put the whole thing together. When you have two puzzle pieces (the beginning of the thread) it is not possible to see the entire picture.

So feel free to judge as you wish. I stand by my intentions as well as my posts.

Irene

Debbie just said it very well IMO....

I think your view of what occurred here and your interpretations of comments made are incorrect...Now you've shared your opinion, I've shared mine, Debbie shared hers ect....Let Buyer give his own if he wishes....it's all good and what the Forum is suppose to be about IMO.

As far as the finger-wagging, I'm thinking you've been doing a good bit of that yourself.

"Our opinions just weren't asked for" ?????????????????

Not to belabor this, but...........That's EXACTLY what people are doing when they pose questions here on Trulia !!!!

"Why do some agents cheat, lie, hide information"?.............that question can ONLY result in opinions being given. It's hardly a factual question.

I stand by my opinion that most answers were given in a positive manner with the intent to help.........at no time did I see this gentleman express displeasure with what was said. If anything, he kept the conversation going by further explaining the situation and asking follow up questions.


Have a wonderful day
Debbie

Hi Debra and everyone who posted,

Just a parting thought to this scenario as it's been written that I have judged all of you... Not so, I simply said "Some of you have a harsh tone." It's been stated it seems that this person has been helped? I can't say that I agree with that. He never really asked for help. His initial questions were answered and then some, but that's why I was dismayed. Thanks for taking the time to respond however. I wish no-one had experiences like this one, but they do. But no need to wag your finger at me now!

The truth is he didn't ask to understand why that situation occured or for comments on how, or even be explained the events as they transpired. He later stated in fact that he posted them for all to learn from and my guess is probably partly to vent frustration too. He was seeking to understand not be lectured. I just think he got more than he asked for, from us the professionals, even after he tried to politely end the conversation.

Although I thought there was a tone to several responses like "I'm sorry I contributed to this thread. By nature I trust people at their word." (Did the buyer lie somehow?), "I know this, but temporarily forgot it in a fit of misdirected compassion. I simply believed at someone's word, that they were wronged." "How does someone sign the papers without having them in front of them?" and "Why would they sign something this important with/out demanding to read the?" (Ok, this is rhetorical, & when they obviously didn't understand what they were signing, seems rude.) Playing devil's advocate: "you have really stepped on a nerve of mine. It is YOUR job to be informed. It is YOUR job to know what you are signing, or don't sign it. (Now we are shouting...) You found your way here to complain. (He did? I read otherwise.) So you DO know how to navigate your way around the Internet. (Accusatory.) You DO NOT get to cry victim because your agent didn't "educate you every step of the way!" Did you ask? Did you do any research on your own? Or did you just take the "it's all good" approach while things were going your way?
Nothing infuriates me more than a complacent victim. Gather your wits about you and go buy a home. (Somewhat angry and confrontational don't you think?) "I am going to say this one more time" (A bit condescending...) And finally... ""Just an experience to share and forget.." Per your post below...I agree.
Reiterating everyone's suggestions:
If not satisfied:
1. Go to Agent's BROKER
If not satisfied:
2. File a complaint with Board of Realtors
If not satisfied
3. File a complaint with the Licensing authority in PA, if that is where the dastardly deed occurred.
Or maybe it is...
"Just an experience to share and forget." (Ok, if this isn't sarcastic I don't know what is)

He was, in multiple posts polite. Examples? "Appreciated." "Thanks for your kind reply."
"As I said before, this is for educational purposes only . We learnt a lot and will stop here" (but it didn't stop there did it?) He did say "Passing on to you to learn and correct mistakes - no desire to make compliants" remember? But re-reading it I can't say that some responses to him were equally polite. Not that some weren't helpful.

Add all that together and I hope you see what I mean. All I am saying is we as professionals have to be careful how we say things, more selective in what we respond to and how. In the end, it doesn't matter to me, only to him. You can bash me all you want. I am not judging any of you, just making an observation. I too watched this conversation from the beginning and I have answered other questions he's posted as well. It's easy for us to see how this may have happened, but he's in a situation (or his "friend") he may only be in one or two times in his life and this has been his experience. That's the sad part. I'd rather see him look back after posting and not regret having gone to the very professionals he feels wronged by to understand. I know in my heart there is likely more to this story which is why I wouldn't dare presume to know enough to "comment" from the beginning. And he did get some good advice, I didn't say it was all bad!

Deb, I wasn't personally insulted in the least. I trust you all have very intellectual responses and care greatly, otherwise your time wouldn't be spent in this venue helping those who post. But my observation was that it seemed to get carried away and assumptions were made. Our opinions just weren't asked for.

Or .....you are 100% correct ............that is something we can all agree on !!

Irene

You pass judgment and then you say ..."The lesson for all of you who posted here is this...

Stay out of judgement! "

I was here from the beginning to the end and also read all the comments, if you look at Buyers Profile you will see this is just one of a number of questions asked. (Responded to by many of the same people trying to help) I have also seen the Agents on this thread and the responses they have given on man many other threads before, some of the best members of the Forum IMHO answered this question and they are not Agents that are harsh or who just make arbitrary responses quite the contrary.

This question also changed as new info was added by Buyer and I do not see the Harshness you speak of rather I see people sharing there honest opinions which IMO is what this Forum is all about...

The Buyer is always right is a snappy cliche but not always the Truth and your response was mostly just a repeat of what was already said as I did not notice that you actually added anything new beyond your Judgment of those who commented before you.

The purpose of responding to Questions in my opinion is to share honest feedback not to confirm what a Questioner may think because (The customer is always right) even if you disagree.

There are many many other threads in this forum where your observation of harsh judgment would be far more Accurate.(FSBO threads, Dual Agency threads, and others) I'd be glad to link you to them if you wish but I disagree with your assessment of this thread and I've been on a good number of threads to base my opinion of that on.

Dunes

i think there are good andnot so good people in every profession.

"The lesson for all of you who posted here is this...

Stay out of judgement! "

Good advice for life and Trulia. :)

Irene
If I may, I am going to respond to your expression of dismay at the responses here.
I reread through them, and in my opinion, for the most part, everyone tried to help this gentleman try to understand what transpired between his "firend" (this was never made clear to me as to whether this perosn was speaking for himself or someone else) and their realtor.

On more than one occasion, I, along with other, stated that it is difficult to get the whole picture from what was presented here. This gentleman tried to further explain the situation, and he received more information as posed more questions.
One important pices of information many shared was that the buyer in question COULD go ahead and use another realtor. That advice was repeated over and over again.
I don't see many, if any, posts that were rude......most tried, in my opinion (myself included) to help him understand what migfht have caused the situation he described, and suggested what to do in moving forward.
He started with: "why do agents cheat"...this led to questioning an email that was hard to decipher based on the bits and pieces presented. We all still, however, tried to help.

The perosn who asked the question engaged us with further questions...which resulted in more repsonses - all trying to help...............It seems as though this gentleman has been helped...he doesn't apprear to be insulted.....why are you?

Best wishes
Debbie

Wow. I am sadly reading this long string of 32 answers and it's thought provoking that when it's all read together (from the end to the last post mind you), as the buyer would read it, it's no wonder he/she feels the way he does. Some of you have a harsh tone that really wasn't necessary. It may not have been meant, but gosh, give this person who posted this as a way to possibly understand a break! He stated he wasn't trying to complain and if you reread his post, it wasn't written as a complaint.

It was fairly obvious to me from the initial posting that there was a language issue. This alone is reason for any agent to thoroughly explain with great care that the contracts being placed before a buyer are understood and having said that, also that the buyer be given a copy to pre-read at their liesure maybe in the company of an interpreter without feeling pressured to do so or being held responsible or else. Maybe the agent for the buyer did all he or she was supposed to and it didn't work out. Maybe judging by the tone of the email, it was because of the agents actions. Who knows?

The lesson for all of you who posted here is this...

Stay out of judgement! This buyer was wronged. Intentionally or not, the consumer is (dare I say this?) always right. No need to posture showing this buyer how they did this to themselves. No need to reiterate what may not have been understood because of this language barrier and add insult to injury aleady! Just learn what you can, politely exit the conversation having given your advice. Geez!

As for the buyer, may I state a few things? You did a brave thing asking such an unpopular question. Some agents do lie, cheat and hide facts. We as agents experience this all the time in our industry. It's a shame to say that, but it's true. Of course, as stated before, this is a fact of life in every profession so I won't go on to lecture you. You asked a question and I completely understand why you asked. The details do not matter to me. You didn't ask that the problem be resolved. But I noticed that no-one asked you what they might do to help you?

What I would do if you wanted someone's help is this; interview you thoroughly to better understand the whole situation and then call your agent. There may be some way to resolve the issues between you both. A win-win situation for both you and the agent would be the ideal situation since you want to buy and they sure want to be compensated for the time they did contribute. That's fair right? Suffice to say you both may have to swallow your pride about who is right, who did wrong etc. and move forward with a new attitude and perspective with a positive goal in mind. But I bet it can be done. I'd be willing to help in any way I could. I bet your agents manager would too, knowing this is why you are calling on them. We are in this business to help people, not fight with them or lose their potential referrals.

And you have been given good sound advice here... If you feel instead there was something done illegally, unethically or in a biased way then call the Board of Realtors for the county you were purchasing in. Contact an attorney who can decipher the details. Then move on as you wanted to after putting it to rest. And don't take it to heart all these posts. It seems the details got further and further from the issue and these agents meant well, I am sure.

Good luck in the future and in becoming a home owner. If you want a book on buying your first home, call me. I'd be happy to provide it to you as well as a booklet from our Board of Realtors that, in plain language explains those contracts like the agreement of sale that you will once again need to sign when that time comes.

Irene Butler
Partner / Realtor
Keller Williams RE
276 B Dilworthtown Rd
West Chester, PA 19382
610-399-5100
Cell 484-576-9491
IreneButler@kw.com http://www.IreneButler.com

I concur. This is like beating a dead horse. Useless at this point. Move on.

Hi Buyerseller.......to answer your most recent question:

"There is no excuse for your behavior" ............means that the agent thinks the buyer acted in a way that was not proper.
Although so many of us have tried, none of us here can really comment further, as we don't have all the facts. it is not clear what exactly occurred.

I think there may be a language barrier (problem) that is keeping each side from understanding the other side, as there appears to be confusion with the communication.

It may be best for the buyer to move on, and find a new agent. It was already suggested that the buyer can have a conversation with the manager of the office to discuss what took place.

Best wishes
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

"Just an experience to share and forget.." Per your post below...I agree.

Reiterating everyone's suggestions:
If not satisfied:
1. Go to Agent's BROKER
If not satisfied:
2. File a complaint with Board of Realtors
If not satisfied
3. File a complaint with the Licensing authority in PA, if that is where the dastardly deed occurred.

Or maybe it is...
"Just an experience to share and forget."

What does this mean "There is no
excuse for you behavior". Thanks for your kind reply.

I don't see anything there to report to a police station, unless I am missing something. What crime was committed?

I am greatly disappointed in your behavior in not doing as you said you
would. Your lack of courtesy and consideration in promptly returning phone
calls and general lack of regard for others is shameful. Listing agent and I have
tried in every way to assist you but you have not promptly provided the
information you said you would and have consistently misled us.

I thought you were a person of education, culture, and honor. There is no
excuse for you behavior.
===

The above thing is to those who raed it and gave their good answers..I'm revisiting again to understand it properly What does the last para mean here in this contect? My friends and I are unable to analyze it. May be you as an agnet can try to explain.

Should I report this to the local police station? Appreciated.

I would add to my previous answer that a buyer or seller should never sign something they do not understand. Ask for a complete explanantion, if you need something translated then ask to bring someone who can translate for you. Ours is a multicultural society and it can be difficult to fully understand eveything in an agreement of sale or a contract. All PA documents, and probably other states as well mention that if you need legal advice then you chould consult with an attorney before signing.

As has been stated in some previous answers you can contact the manager of the office and explain the situation and ask for a different agent or to be completely released from the buyers ageny contract that has been signed. However, if released make sure you get that release in writing and that it completely releases the buyer from all and any commitments to compensate the agent in the case of them buying thrpough another agent.

Buyer...Hello again

I am going to say this one more time. The buyer in question does NOT have to sit and wait 3 or 4 months for the agreement with the agent to run out. He or she can speak with the Broker, explain why they are unhappy, and move on to a NEW agent or agency. It shouldn't be a problem.

I am glad you discovered some useful information here, but rather than dwell on what has happened...tell this buyer to move on, and find a home! Glad this was a learning experience - be sure to share it with the buyer!

Best wishes...........Debbie

Buyer

I do understand and wish the best in the future but this is another example of the need for buyers/sellers to inform themselves before committing themselves to an Agent or Agreements....

Glad you mentioned you've learned something at Trulia and will be glad to hear when your buyer friend does find A good Agent and gets their goals accomplished.

Wish I could say I've never screwed up something important or bit off more than I was able tohandle but I can't..

A lesson learned is a good thing ultimately, wishing you luck in helping your friend become informed about the Process, their responsibilities and the Responsibilities of a Good Agent.

Good Luck, Dunes

Thanks Don for the kind words and Thanks also to you Angela for your kind words earlier...

Great answers from Dunes.

I stand by my previous response (most agents are honest; if you're not happy talk to the agent's broker), but it's fascinating how the facts--as partial as they are--are emerging.

Buterseller09-you have really stepped on a nerve of mine.

It is YOUR job to be informed. It is YOUR job to know what you are signing, or don't sign it.

You found your way here to complain. So you DO know how to navigate your way around the Internet.

You DO NOT get to cry victim because your agent didn't "educate you every step of the way!" Did you ask? Did you do any research on your own? Or did you just take the "it's all good" approach while things were going your
way?

Nothing infuriates me more than a complacent victim.

Gather your wits about you and go buy a home.

How does someone sign the papers without having them in front of them? Why didn't they read them them then or ask for them to be explained? Why would they sign something this important without demanding to read the?
First of all - No desire to complain:
---------------------------------------------
First time buyer - he/she took to the office - Client did not know lots things and glosary of terms in the buyer-buyer agent agreement- believed and signed - Did not like to argue in office (5 minustes were given to read and sign). Later understood after talking to Trulia that it was signed unnecessarilly, but can live with that for few months.

Email suggest differences so why did buyer keep this Agent, why did they choose this Agent in the first place?
=========================
Buyer is stuck because the things he/she signed in the buyer-buyer agent agreement.

So many unanswered questions and way to much speculation to give any more of a response than you've already gotten, you are passing on to us something someone else passed along to you...
===============================================


Passing on to you to learn and correct mistakes - no desire to make compliants. In the worst case client will wait for 3 months unitl the duration mentioned in the contract is passed and move on to a new agent or try to work out with same agent.
As I said before, this is for educational purposes only . We learnt a lot and will stop here.

Buyer

How does someone sign the papers without having them in front of them? Why didn't they read them them then or ask for them to be explained? Why would they sign something this important without demanding to read the?

Email suggest differences so why did buyer keep this Agent, why did they choose this Agent in the first place?

Buying is a large financial and life affecting thing so why would buyer allow this to happen or progress to this stage? Buyers Agents are selected by the Buyer, Agents do not select the Buyers...

So many unanswered questions and way to much speculation to give any more of a response than you've already gotten, you are passing on to us something someone else passed along to you...

The buyer can file a complaint with the State Real Estate Commission if they feel all othe options have failed,
they can investigate and perhaps answer the questions better than us...
http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/cwp/view.asp?a=1104&Q=43…

Good luck

As I said before, the agent failed to educate the client at every step of the way, made client to sign buyer-buyer agent agreement papers without sending to read/not explaining . This caused the clinet to loose confidence and derailed the whole communicationas time passed Client has not commited anty thing to the agent; it is all agent's understanding and analyzing wrongly. Who would like to talk to who when you loose confidence and see langauge barriers from other sides.

By the by, agent said that he/she is high school dropout , but became VP and managers of the biggest financial insurance companies in the US. He/she also said he/she was a bully. Never showed his/her profie to client - went on bombarding/bluffing. All e-mails were cryptic and short worded and hidden.
Just an experience to share and forget..

Dunes-I respect you immensely and your contibutions always cause me to sit up a little straighter and listen.

Debbie-thank you. You are a gunbarrel of gusto! I appreciate your professinalism and tact. I constantly learn from you.
.

Patrick-thanks again.

The "feeling of being sucker-punched" is not always deliberately inflicted as such. Sometimes, it is caused by nothing more than a "well DUuuuH" moment.

Everyone responded to the question as asked, that's all anyone can do. Patrick got the question expanded as every question in the Forum gets expanded when more details are added....

Why would anyone be troubled by that? Plenty here a consumer can learn from and I don't think it's a case of needing to feel suckered or sorry anyone contributed.

They ask em, you answer em as asked, people learn from that and if the question turns in a new direction, they learn from that also...I can think of a lot of other threads people should regret contributing too or being a part of way more than this one..

My opinion is the Question was asked and answered as presented, any changes were responded to and everyone did a fine job..So I'm giving everyone a Thumbs up just because I can.

#1 Trulia BSer and weird fella, Dunes

Angela - you always speak from the heart, with gusto.....and that's a good thing!
No need to apologize!

I have two choices, delete my previous answer, or simply leave it on for educational reasons. I know this, but temporarily forgot it in a fit of misdirected compassion. I simply believed at someone's word, that they were wronged. I forgot that little fact that Patrick so kindly reminded me of. Three sides to every story and I believe I spoke out of turn.

We all want good for folks, and I feel a little sucker-punched. But that's okay, it's my bad, not yours.

Thanks for the lesson.

I hope you have a successful transaction.

I'm sorry I contributed to this thread. By nature I trust people at their word. Patrick was correct about not having all sides represented here. I'm not even sure whether the person who posted is the buyer or the seller. One fact stands out, only one side is presented here, the others are not.

This dribble of information is revealing more, but not all. If buyer/seller has issues with ANY of the agent, by all means contact the broker(s), and complain to the proper authorities. I will not condone nor condemn the people involved since we're not party to this.

Professionals act professionally wherever they are, no matter what industry they're in. Telling like it is also part of being a professional. Hope this thread helps you, again best of luck.

Buyerseller
Thanks for trying to give us a more complete picture, however, I will respectfully refrain from making more comments in regard to the situation. it's still too difficult to form an opinion with bits and pieces of an issue.
I am sorry the buyer in question is has had an unpleasant experience. Hopefully, this won't be the case moving forward.

The one thing I will say agin is............I suggest the buyer discuss this with the broker/manager of the office in question. A new agent can be assigned, or I am sure the broker will release the buyer from any contractual agreement with the agent in question.

The most important thing now is for the buyer to move forward and buy a home!

Best wishes.......
Debbie

Hi Ptric and Debbie: Thanks first of all.
I want to keep this for educational purposes only:
Here is the letter in its entirety. Buyer agent has said to contact listing agent, and the client did not have time to contact both of them. Buyer was more comfortable with listing agent because of all those he/she was forced to do. He/she lost confidence with agent, but continued his/her efforts to own a house. Client did not call because client did not have an answer to raise the price. It should have been understood.
----------------------
I am greatly disappointed in your behavior in not doing as you said you
would. Your lack of courtesy and consideration in promptly returning phone
calls and general lack of regard for others is shameful. Listing agent and I have
tried in every way to assist you but you have not promptly provided the
information you said you would and have consistently misled us.

I thought you were a person of education, culture, and honor. There is no
excuse for you behavior.

Hi again Buyerseller

I appreciate Ptrick taking the time to break down the situation as you described it.

Too be honest I still am not quie sure of the whole picture, so I won't comment on a specific level.

I think there was some confusion on the buyer's part in regard to the buying process. Why the listing agent was called with the counter offer, I do not know. The correct way to handle this was to call the buyer's agent.
Sounds like the buyer's agent might not have taken the time to properly explain the process, or it wouldn't have escalated to this point.
Any buyer agreement contracts should have been presented and signed prior to beginning the home search.

In regard to the email.............
Being shown part of an email also doesn't give a complete picture to comment on.

Suffice it to say, rudeness shouldn't be tolerated, whether its from an agent...or from the client.

I still don't see where discrimination might factor into any of this, but let's leave that aside for now.

In regard to not being able to use another agent, that just isn't so.
This buyer should definitely call, and speak to the broker of the office who has the ability to assign a new agent . There is no reason to "sit out" the next 3-4 months waiting for the contract with the current agent to expire. That isn't necessary.

If the buyer is so displeased with the service, I am sure the broker will realease them and allow them to find another agent in another company to represent them. Most brokers and agents do not want to hold a buyer "hostage" if thaey are so unhappy.

The buyer should not miss out on buying if they can take advantage of the 1st time home buyers credit...they have to move fast. Thye need to call the Broker tomorrow!

Make sure with the new agent they sit down.....have a long conversation...and have the entire home buying process explained fully. Ask for references if there is any question about the agent's ability, or if they want reassurance. if they don't feel comfortable with this agent - move onto another agent until they have a comfort level.

Good luck to "the buyer" in finding and purchasing a home.
One more bit of information..........don't look at houses that may be above the buyer's ability to pay. This way they will have a better chance of not losing out to another buyer who can pay more.

Best wishes
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

Buyerseller09,

There are three sides to every story. Yours theirs and somewhere in the middle is the truth. From reading what you just wrote, let me show you how this appears to be and maybe you can see it from another point.

If I have the players correct in this scenario you are the buyer and have a buyers agent. If that is correct, let me point something out.
____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Came home at 5 pm discussed with family, called listing agent for new value $290. (Buyer also knew listing agent – met while seeing the house)
____________________________________________________________________________________

..."called listing agent..." if you have a buyers agent representing you then you should let that agent do the negotiating and not be contacting the listing agent yourself. If you are contacting the listing agent, and the deal comes together, that listing agent may and/or could try and claim that they are the agent that put the deal together. In other words you went to them and your buyer agent would be out of the picture.
____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Buyer agent shooting e-mail at 2 am Saturday as follows.
“I thought you were a person of education, culture, and honor. There is no
excuse for you behavior” - a part of the message sent
____________________________________________________________________________________

Without seeing the whole e-mail it's hard to say, but could the agent be referring to you contacting the listing agent here?
___________________________________________________________________________________

*Made to sign buyer-buyer agent agreement – cannot go with other agents to buy houses shown in the next 3-5 months, will pay 3% if violated. Pay Compensation equivalent to what seller pays to buyer agent. (Did not explain at all, hiding this agreement form and showing it at the end for 5 minutes to take signature)
___________________________________________________________________________________

Not an excuse, just an explanation here. If in fact you did contact the listing agent, then this is a way for the buyer agent to protect them self from having another agent come and claim that they are the agent responsible for putting the deal together and entitled to the commission. Remember, agents do not get paid unless they sell something. No fault being blamed here on either side, this is just as someone from outside the situation sees it.

Here is the background of what took place:

This occurred within my circle and using Trulia to understand :

1. A contract was submitted using media at 10 am for $285 against $310.
2. Got a mail and voice mail while in office to raise the offer. Buyer was busy at his/her office.
3. Came home at 5 pm discussed with family, called listing agent for new value $290. (Buyer also knew listing agent – met while seeing the house)
4. Sent mail to Buyer agent the same thing at 9pm (Problem with home computer since 3 pm until 9 pm) saying inability to raise beyond $290.
5. Looks like contract favored the other party.
6. Buyer agent shooting e-mail at 2 am Saturday as follows.
“I thought you were a person of education, culture, and honor. There is no
excuse for you behavior” - a part of the message sent.
7. Buyer did not like to answer to this e-mail – buyer kept quiet – absolutely no fault on buyer. Observed agent using such kind of language throughout in e-mail and otherwise. *Made to sign buyer-buyer agent agreement – cannot go with other agents to buy houses shown in the next 3-5 months, will pay 3% if violated. Pay Compensation equivalent to what seller pays to buyer agent. (Did not explain at all, hiding this agreement form and showing it at the end for 5 minutes to take signature). His/her e-mail messages were cryptic like abcd … lmn….
8. (1st time buyer)Buyer was unable to change agent because of the above agreement. Now decided not to buy house in the next 3-4 months. Met this agent on Trulia home site without checking his/her profile.
9. * Prior to this, another contract $240 against $270 failed. Buyer is afraid or is unable to change the agent because of the above agreement.

Help us understand how buyer could improve so that he/she does not get into this.

Realtors are not the only "professionals" (if you will) out there that lack judgment, morals, or character not to mention proper communication skills. I live and work in Philadelphia. I work with a variety of Realtors that come from every walk of life. All have obviously passed the Real Estate Exam but every Realtor has a different skill set and different character traits.

I have and advanced college degree. I am not bragging. I am just stating a fact. I am not a Yale Grad just a regular Masters Degree. Many Realtors (or any profession) have advanced knowledge and previous careers in finance or accounting, teaching and so on. Those additional years in school and in the workplace are reflected in their language and professionalism in many cases.Then there are Realtors that have earned their High School diploma and then got their license. I am not saying that earning a High School diploma is not good, I am saying that there is a difference in practical and professional experience when you compare a High School education to a advanced degree and or coupled with a higher education. That is why so many people go back to school. The skill set is different and may reflect in the way individuals conduct business.

Ethical behavior is discussed in Real Estate school and the PAR has firm rules and consequences for unethical behavior. But, ethical behavior is taught when a person is a young child. Learning ethics IMHO is a cumulative development that matures as we age. There are even parts of the human brain that formulates the actualization and understanding of consequences to ones actions. That part of the brain may not completely develop until a person is in their early 20's ! Think about this for a moment. We can tell 10 people not to park their car in a loading zone and at least 1 or 2 of them will justify a reason to do it. (I have no scientific evidence to prove that but you can see what I am getting at with that comment).

In short, my opinion is that some Realtors are unethical because that is a character flaw unrelated to the Real Estate Industry. Some Reators will use unpolished language because they have less experience as a professional in the business community. The longer you are in a professional environment the more you understand that a degree of refinement is needed as part of the service you provide.

If your Realtor, Doctor, Plumber, etc. is unethical... find another one.

Buyerseller09....hello, and thanks for your question

I can only speak for myself.......
I don't cheat, I don't lie, and I don't hide information......................Why?........ Because I am an honest person in my personal life, and in my buisness life.

Why others cheat and/or lie is because they don't have any moral character or internal ethics.

All of this has nothing to do with real esate, as, unfortunately, there are liars and cheats in alll businesses.............ever hear of Bernie Madoff?

As far as polished language...well, there are different educational levels, and not everyone is articulate.
The requirements to become an agent should, in my opinion, be highers. But, even with higher requirements, there will still be variations in intellectual levels and different degrees of professionalism
The level of honesty should be the same for all.

Best wishes
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

As in any decision the onus is upon you as a customer to interview several agents and decide who you feel most comfortable working with. Ask for references and call those people, ask who they are, how long ago did they do business with the agent. You have choices as a consumer and you should exercise those choices. Look for experience, how long has the agent been in the business, are there any complaints against this agent, you can find this out through the state licensing board usually. Do they usually sell this priced home? Is this an area/location they are familiar with and what can they tell you about the area.

As a consumer you need to ask questions before employing an agent, just as you would a surgeon, a contractor, an attorney. There are lots of good questions you can ask.

Buyerseller09-I'm sorry for what appears to have been very a bad experience for you. It makes me cringe at the thought of an agent treating you unfairly in any way.

You matter. And I can say with true belief that you, as a buyer OR seller, matter to MOST of us. If you were wronged, you need to be reassured that you should speak up and make such complaints known to the governing authorities of your state. Only by reporting can offenses be known and dealt with accordingly.

Good people do good, whether they are a garbage man or a Realtor. Bad people infiltrate every facet of society and profession. I wish it weren't so.

The good news is, there are safeguards and reporting procedures in place to protect you as a consumer. The bad news is that it only works if you take the steps to use it.

I wish you better experiences in the future.

Hi. The barrier to entry in the real estate industry is very low as has been addressed before me. I think you will find this kind of behavior in any industry, which is unfortunate. However, there are a whole lot more honest, hardworking professionals than the kind you're talking about. Sorry that you've experienced this. As a consumer, you can call the local board of Realtors and file a complaint against the agent. Best of luck.

The Question could just as easily be .....Why do some Presidents cheat, lie, hide informations or Why do some Priests cheat, lie, hide informations or Why do some policemen ..get my drift.

Cheating, lying, hiding information are Character flaws found in all Occupations or at the local Tavern..

Education helps those without those Flaws to become better at what they do, it does not correct the Character of those who suffer from those flaws...

Become informed about the Process and that will help you more than anything in distinguishing those in the Industry who are good and those who are bad.

When you find Agents with those Characteristics follow the advice of those good Agents that say to report it...Take Action and help weed out the Bad ones...That same advice goes for Agents also BTW..

Just my opinion, Dunes

Qualifications vary, but often it's along the lines of: Over the age of 18, no felonies, and passing a state exam after taking a mandatory course--often about 60 hours of classroom study. Very honestly, really, almost any high school graduate can become licensed in most states.

Why do they cheat and lie? Those few that do--most are honest and reputable--do so because they're dishonest. And they should be driven out of the profession. Report any agent who cheats or lies to the agent's managing broker. And if that doesn't sufficiently address the problem, report the agent to the state licensing board.

Hope that helps.

The requirements to be a licensed real estate agent is to pass two tests. One in state real estate law and the other in real estate knowledge. If you know for a fact the the agent lied, covered up information, etc then you can go to the state to complain or if they are a Realtor you can also go to the Association of Realtors to complain there.

Hope that helps,

Terrence Charest, e-Pro