Let’s face it: When your house goes on the market, you’re opening the door to prospective buyers and sometimes to unknown vendors and naive or unqualified buyers. As with any business transaction, there is an expected protocol for how sellers, buyers, and their agents interact. Should you find yourself in a sticky situation, alert your agent so they can address and remedy the problem.
The aggressive agent
When your agent puts your house on the market, all promotional materials state that your agent is the primary contact for buyers and buyers’ agents. However, sometimes a buyer’s agent will contact a seller directly 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. Selling your home 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. They can tap the appropriate sources to prompt an investigation into the matter.
The naive buyer
Yard signs, Internet listings, and other advertisements can generate much buzz for your home. Some prospective buyers – particularly first-timers – will be so buzzed to see your home that they’ll drop by. No matter how friendly these unexpected visitors are, if this happens, 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 alone, you might inadvertently disclose information that could hurt you during negotiations.
