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I have to say, my hats off to the REALTORS that stick with this business. I've only been doing this for a year and I have been fairly successful considering what's going on. My background is management and marketing and consider myself to be an honest, ethical, hard working person. My number one goal in every job, including this has been to give excellent customer service and make sure my clients are happy. This has been difficult for only one reason, because of other agents. I has no idea how many bad ones were out there and it's such a hard job when you are one of the few doing a good job. I really don't know how people stay in this business, especially when it's so expensive, very hard work at times, long hours and having to deal with the horrible unprofessonal other agents.
This thread was not to cause trouble for someone and I'm not upset over one little thing that happened. A lot of things happened, including me having to take a reduced commission to get the deal to closing because of someone lying. Also, dealing with a listing agent that had the listing wrong on the MLS and filling out his end of the contract wrong and me (who is still new) having to catch all this stuff.
This is not the only deal like this, almost every deal I've had has been nickled and dimed to death with me having to cut my commission. If I figured out the hours it took to do the work on some of them, I made about .50 cents an hour. The agent on the other end almost always causes me to do twice as much work because they didn't do their job. Anyway, I can keep going on and I'm not trying to bash anyone but I'm just in shock of how bad it is. I'm so disappointed after all the classes and training I've gone through, money I've spent to find out this is it.
After reading through all of the posts on this thread carefully, my reaction is to wonder why the buyers even bothered to respond to the other agent's "congratulations".
I mean, why did this even become an issue. The buyer interviewed some agents, chose one, bought a house, everything done fair and square - ding! ding!, Game Over.
Personally if I were that buyer, and a previous agent with whom I no longer had any association sent me a "congratulations" note, I'd think it was rather strange at best, then delete without responding. Best not to encourage them.
Rapture, you have every right to be upset with the other agent. I would be livid if I were in your shoes. The other agent shouldn't have done that, was not a smart move for multiple reasons. It's even worse that she is in the same company as you even if it's a different office.
I suggest talking to your BIC and having your BIC contact her BIC. That kind of behavior within a company needs to be squashed. You proved to be the better agent. The clients felt comfortable with you. Should have been end of story.
I also suggest looking back over why you've had to cut commissions. That shouldn't be the case that you're getting beaten up over commission repeatedly so figure out what's going on and why. Sometimes you just got to say no and be tough about it. If it doesn't work then it wasn't meant to be and you help them find something else. If it's foreclosures or short sales, well that I understand. I'm not saying never do it because there's always exceptions. Make it a personal "policy". People understand when you say "I can't, it's policy."
Best of luck. There's a lot of stress and tough moments in the biz. You just gotta put it behind you and move on.
Ditto with Hoffman. Every deal is different. You will still come across these situations, but you have to remember this word. No. If it doesn't make sense, then NO. It's very hard to prove anything and then you have to think, what is in the best interest of my buyers/sellers overall? Bickering and egos need not to be injected in the transaction. Don't talk about people, talk about property. Like he said.. put it behind and learn from the experience.
Oregon has some of the highest entry standards for agents, so we don't get as many really bad ones. Lots of average ones. Part of your job is helping your clients to manage stress. Buying and selling a home is a very stressful proposition. When you agents that go rogue on you and act bizarrely, you just need to be completely upfront with your clients and let them know YOU will handle it. Take it off their plate.
Real estate is much harder than it looks. Unfortunately, the entry standards aren't commensurate with the importance of the profession. Hence many subpar agents.
Just my personal opinion, but if this is the worst violation of ethics you run across in this business, then I think that's the exception to the rule. Sad to say, the agents that are thoroughly familiar with the code of ethics are probably in the minority. There are those that practice r.e. that are well-meaning but rather ignorant when it comes to the COE's, and there are others who just want to "make the deal happen" and cross ethical lines in doing so.
Sounds to me like there is a bit of "history" here between you and this other agent. Just putting this behind you and moving on is probably the best thing you can do. You may never get a definitive answer on whether what she did was right or wrong. Did her congratulatory note harm you or your clients? Not really. If it made them feel guilty, then perhaps they have a reason to feel guilty. In reality the note of congratulations would not have been sent in the first place if you had not contacted this other agent to "let her know you were closing a deal with her former customers". She may have felt she was taking the high road by acknowledging their success in finding a home, even though it wasn't with her. (Although it sounds like you're pretty sure she that this was a sneaky move on her part.)
I think having to cough up commission because agents on the other side of some of your deals aren't doing their jobs is far more serious a matter than this congratulatory note. Sure it gets your goat, but believe me, you'll run across much, much worse in the future. Pick your battles wisely. If you can't put this behind you or you think it will hurt the company, then talk to your broker and let him/her handle it. Also, brokers are supposed to have thorough knowledge of the Code, so let him help determine whether or not this was a violation.
Hang in there, Rapture! Don't let these kinds of things get to you. One of the secrets to doing well in this business is to enjoy what you're doing. Of course, it's not always fun and games, and heaven knows this is a very stressful business, but if you continue to focus on your clients and "doing the right thing", you'll be able to smile at night. And your clients will love you!
Did her congratulatory note harm you or your clients? Not really. If it made them feel guilty, then perhaps they have a reason to feel guilty. In reality the note of congratulations would not have been sent in the first place if you had not contacted this other agent to "let her know you were closing a deal with her former customers". She may have felt she was taking the high road by acknowledging their success in finding a home, even though it wasn't with her.
Bingo. And that is not unethical, it's good business on her part, IMO. She's not soliciting their business for this deal (as you've stated) but she certainly is well within the ethics to keep them on her list and in her contacts and be in contact with them to solicit their business for the future until and unless they request she stop. The fact that they were a walk-in and not a relative or friend has nothing to do with it. Her lacking came in not explaining relationships and asking them to sign an agreement like you did, a lesson I'm sure she's learned now. As long as she is not interfering in the current deal/contract then she is well within her rights.
This has been difficult for only one reason, because of other agents. I has no idea how many bad ones were out there and it's such a hard job when you are one of the few doing a good job. I really don't know how people stay in this business, especially when it's so expensive, very hard work at times, long hours and having to deal with the horrible unprofessonal other agents.
That was a bit of a surprise for me as well. For some reason I sort of had an image in my head of RE agents being intelligent, warm, smiling, suit-wearing professionals who usually had the situation under complete control. Then I started working in the business and saw just how much of that is bluffiing... i.e., most of it.
I, for one, am in favor of more stringent requirements for obtaining a RE license. For some reason, consumers have the idea that since we're licensed to handle the largest financial asset they'll ever possess, we must by and large probably kinda know what we're doing... I guess the NAR's ad campaigns are working.
OK obviously I'm being a bit facetious here but the fact is, there is a reason that the public so often talks about RE agents in the same breath as used car salesmen. All too often that perception develops after one or two nightmarish experiences.
And they become tomorrow's FSBOs.
Although it can be frustrating, the industry needs people like you more than ever. Not only that, but if you're one of the few good ones, you stand poised to succeed at a fantastic level.
Thanks to everyone again for posting. I know I keep repeating myself but there is more to the story that is a lot worse. That's why I know she wrote to them, not for the right reason. Even if it was innocent, it's idiotic and unprofessional. Anyone that can't see that, I don't know what to say.
I'm not going to say a word to anyone in my company, inc. my BIC because she is friends with our sales manager and was brought to the company by her. (told you there was more) plus after realizing how many bad agents there are out there, it's a losing battle for me anyway. I didn't bring this whole thing up because of that one incident. It was because my sales manager (who I used to respect) was the one that said to me she didn't do her job and get an agreement and who is really going to do all the work? She said this when I went to her and she didn't know who the other agent was. When she found out who it was she called me on Friday (weeks later) and says I didn't know what agent you were talking about! In other words because it's her friend then her original answers have changed? It doesn't matter who it was, what matters is they didn't do there job. Then she springs it on me that she emailed them, I almost fell off my chair. Well the conversation went downhill from there. So, I said what are you getting at, knowing she's hinting for me to split my already reduced commission that I did all the work for. She said I'll let you decide what's the right thing to do. Unbelieveable!
The only thing that was keeping me in this business and hanging by a thread of hope was the fact that I respected her, my BIC and my company. If I don't have that, it's leaving me not with much except the benefit of freedom to work from home. I'm just really upset to find out she is not the person I thought she was.
My plan is to let it go and I know a lot of worse things happen in this business, it's easy to see. I just don't know if I want to be a part of it. I don't work half ass, unprofessional and I follow the laws/rules whatever. At my age, I don't know if I have the patience for all this nonsense. My friend that's an agent says when you start getting the big checks you will feel better. My life isn't about money because if it was, I would have a lot more of it. I would rather have less money and stuff, respect myself and be happy with the people I work with and my job. I can see how I can be good at this and I see the opportunity right in front of me. What I don't see is how I can put up with all the stuff that goes along with it. That's why I said hats off to the agents that do stick around (not the bad ones of course) : )
Last edited by Global Friend; 04-06-2008 at 04:13 PM..
I also suggest looking back over why you've had to cut commissions. That shouldn't be the case that you're getting beaten up over commission repeatedly so figure out what's going on and why. Sometimes you just got to say no and be tough about it. If it doesn't work then it wasn't meant to be and you help them find something else. If it's foreclosures or short sales, well that I understand. I'm not saying never do it because there's always exceptions. Make it a personal "policy". People understand when you say "I can't, it's policy."
Best of luck. There's a lot of stress and tough moments in the biz. You just gotta put it behind you and move on.
Yes, it was preforeclosures in some cases but not in this case. I don't want to get into the details of my clients situation why it happened this time but I wanted to make everyone happy and get the deal to closing and the only way was for me to take a reduced closing. The sellers agent is a friend of the sellers and offered to do it and put me on the spot to do the same. If I didn't do it everyone involved would have felt it was my fault things didn't move along. Again, more to the story but also more stuff that BS in this business.
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And your clients will love you! 
