The real estate market is complicated enough without disputes between client and agent. Choosing a real estate professional amounts to picking a mate for a business “marriage” that may go on for several months. If you don’t want to be contemplating divorce after the first “date” or two, choose wisely from the start.
Do you have a friend in real estate? Wouldn’t it be natural to work with that person on buying or selling a home? Think twice about that. The strain of a friendship can be a double-edged sword in a business relationship. If you know someone well, you might not exercise the same kind of restraint you’d show an acquaintance and you could wind up saying something you shouldn’t. Or, you might well show too much restraint and not express valid concerns or displeasure.
Either way, working with a friend can not only endanger the business end of the relationship, it could harm the friendship itself. It well may not be worth the risk, and the arrangement might add even more strain to the real estate process. It might be better to simply say to your friend, “I don’t want anything to affect our relationship,” and then ask them to recommend someone.
It’s always a good idea to interview more than one agent. Find out how each would approach marketing your property or finding homes for you to consider if you’re buying. What kind of tools do they have at their disposal to showcase your property? Spend some time with each candidate. As petty as it sounds, if they do something that drives you mad — a nervous tic, the sound of their voice, anything — think twice. The most successful client / agent relationships are those were there is minimal conflict from day one.
If, however, you do reach a point in the relationship where you are convinced your agent is not being effective, understand that changing the arrangement is not as easy as saying, “I’m just not that into you any more.” If your contract includes a clause specifying a length of time before it can be terminated, you will have no choice but to honor the agreement. In other cases, you might be allowed to sever the relationship, but the agent will still be entitled to a percentage of commission in the event that the home sells within a given period.
Obviously the best option is to maintain an open channel of communication with your real estate professional and not to allow any small disagreement or dissatisfaction to fester into something major. Almost all conflicts in professional relationships stem for a failure to simply talk it out. Bad blood rarely develops between agents and buyers, but sellers are another matter. The pressure to get out from under a property can be very difficult for a homeowner to stand, especially if they are in the position of paying two mortgages.
The best policies are to choose your real estate agent carefully in the beginning and then to maintain an open dialog with him or her for the duration of the relationship. Otherwise, the old song is dead on. Breaking up is hard to do.
Whether you are searching for homes for sale in McKinney, homes for sale in University Park or looking for homes for sale in Allen, Darrell Self real estate agent with DMD Realty.com can help you. Contact him today.