Local Realtors

Ohiogirl

New Member
What's up with these local realtors? I have e-mailed a couple realtors asking to schedule a viewing of a home. I get one response. "Let me get ahold of the seller and see what we can work out." Then they drop off the planet...never to be heard from again.

We have a wonderful realtor whom we worked with when we first moved here. We are 'browsing' right now..and if the right house comes our way we will jump on it so I don't want to get our realtor involved when we are just sticking our toes in the water.

But seriously, what's going on with these realtors? Do they not want to sell houses?
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Wait, so you are saying you dont plan to buy a house using these realtors, bringing them income, you just dont want to bother the one who will make money of of any house you find?
Maybe they sense that, and dont want to waste time not making money when they could be working with a buyer who is serious? Maybe I"m missing it, but I dont blame them if thats the case.
 

Ohiogirl

New Member
This is our first time buying a house-our lease isn't up until Autumn. Currently we are just browsing. I email the realtor that is on the MLS listing for more information or if it's possible to schedule a viewing. I get one response saying they will get back with me, but they never do. This has happened a couple times.

gls- I couldn't follow your reply.

Maybe I'm wrong-as I stated we are first time home buyers. I thought if a house is on the market, and I get in touch with the realtor, the realtor would WANT to show the house to possible buyers. Right?
 

glhs837

Power with Control
I get you, and apologize for my tone. I see what you are saying and you are right. Why they are not getting in touch, I dont know. I would ask your realtor, when you do buy, they will get paid the money they earn by helping you now.
 

Ohiogirl

New Member
So we should contact our realtor to set up a viewing thru the sellers realtor? I hate to get our realtor involved while we are just browsing the current market. (I feel like we would be wasting his time. It's not like he needs to be there, he's not the one looking and possibly buying the house.)

If only they had open houses, it would be so much easier!
 

hotmomma

mmmmhmmmmm
Are you allowed to walk up to the house for sale and ask the seller if you can view it or is that frowned upon?
 

Peachypie

New Member
I would recommend you check out FranklyMLS.com first and search which zip codes you are interested in. It will give you a wealth of info on each home for sale and you can browse the pictures. If you are not ready to make an offer on a house until autumn, I would definitely wait until then to go on house tours. Also, get prequalified with a lender first so you are ready when you want to make an offer. That way, you are not wasting your time and the seller's time.
 

calvertgirl

New Member
I was a Realtor from 2005 to 2008 and although some specifics may have changed, certain principles still apply here. If you have signed an agreement to work with a specific real estate salesperson (one can only call themselves a Realtor if they are a member of the National Association of Realtors), you are obligated to go through them whenever you want to see a property listed for sale. The first question any seller's agent should ask you is if you are working with another salesperson because it is professional courtesy and the ethical thing to do. Most potential buyers work with their own buyer's agent (almost always the commission is paid by the seller) because the seller's agent's duty is always to the seller first.

Unless you can afford to pay both the remaining rent on your leased property and a mortgage on your new home at the same time, you are not in a position to make an offer on a property at this time. My advice is to do a lot of research in the areas you think you might want to live in---how are the schools, what is the neighborhood like, are there traffic/crime/property maintenance issues, what are homes selling for, etc. You can find a lot of info online, and you can also drive through the areas you are interested at different times of day and different days of the week to gauge the neighborhood. Then, when you're within 60 to 90 days of the end of your current lease, you'll be prepared to narrow your search to specific neighborhoods and make more efficient use of your time.

Certainly, real estate salespersons who, through their listings, invite you to ask for more information should at the very least respond to your inquiry. But your best bet is to work with your own agent who will represent your best interest. You'll be in a good position when it is time to buy because you don't have to sell another house first.

Good luck and best wishes for finding your dream home...:)

(P.S. to hotmomma....Sellers who are working with an agent are usually told that anyone who inquires about their home should be instructed to contact the agent. Would you open your home to a stranger who walked up to your door just because there is a "For Sale" sign in your yard?)
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Definitely frowned upon. Part of the reason that the process is set up the way it is is because there is so much emotional baggage associated with selling or buying a house.

OG, call your Realtor and ask them, really, explain the situation, see what they say. I know if I am just looking, I will find out where the house is and do a drive-by, just a neighborhood check. A lot of times, that alone will take a place out of consideration. If I can see that its unoccupied, usually by seeing a realtor lock on the door, I will do a walkaround, always with at least my wife, and usually the kids.

Back when I drove a Neon, that would net some looks, some areas, just driving by in the Neon would generate stares of suspicion. The Charger looks upscale enough that folks dont get all antibody about it:) If neighbors approached, I would tell them I was interested in the property, and if they knew anything I should know.

Doing these preliminary steps saves my realtor a me a lot of time.

Two web sites that can help you with research are the county Geographical Information System, which will give you good overhead views, you can get zoning data, see rough property lines

GeoBlade Web

Interface could be better, but pretty powerful tools once you master them....

And the State of MD Real Property Database........

SDAT: Real Property Search

Search by address, or just street.
 

calvertgirl

New Member
I would recommend you check out FranklyMLS.com first and search which zip codes you are interested in. It will give you a wealth of info on each home for sale and you can browse the pictures. If you are not ready to make an offer on a house until autumn, I would definitely wait until then to go on house tours. Also, get prequalified with a lender first so you are ready when you want to make an offer. That way, you are not wasting your time and the seller's time.

Good recommendation to get pre-qualified with a lender. Also, you can check Find Real Estate Listings, School and Neighborhood Information and More - Realtor.com® and HomesDatabase - Home for Sale and Rent in DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. These websites present basically the same information, but some details may be different on each site. If you are working with a real estate salesperson, they can arrange to automatically e-mail you new listings that meet the criteria you specify, and these are usually more detailed information than you can get on the internet.
 

Tigerlily

Luvin Life !!!
So we should contact our realtor to set up a viewing thru the sellers realtor? I hate to get our realtor involved while we are just browsing the current market. (I feel like we would be wasting his time. It's not like he needs to be there, he's not the one looking and possibly buying the house.)

If only they had open houses, it would be so much easier!

Yes you should contact your realtor to schedule appointments for you. My ex mother in law was a realtor and if I remember correctly a realtor cannot represent both the seller and the buyer due to conflict of interest issues. Other than that option would be to search out and visit open houses. You will not needna representative for that.
 

Clem_Shady

New Member
What's up with these local realtors? I have e-mailed a couple realtors asking to schedule a viewing of a home. I get one response. "Let me get ahold of the seller and see what we can work out." Then they drop off the planet...never to be heard from again.

We have a wonderful realtor whom we worked with when we first moved here. We are 'browsing' right now..and if the right house comes our way we will jump on it so I don't want to get our realtor involved when we are just sticking our toes in the water.

But seriously, what's going on with these realtors? Do they not want to sell houses?

You're going about this all wrong.

First, fire your real estate agent.

Then, when you find the house you want, speak with the seller privately and tell them not to renew their sales contract with the listing agent.

After the seller is free and clear of the leech, that'll leave you and the seller free to work out a better deal. Have the seller give you the real estate agent's sales commission as down payment money or as a price reduction on the house.

:popcorn:
 

Ohiogirl

New Member
Thanks for the responses. Lots of helpful websites, they will most definately help with our search.

glhs- Using geoblade there is a number (ex: 300ft) on the lower right hand corner. Dumb question, but is that referencing sea level? We have done exactly what you have done in the past. We drove by the home we are interested in viewing, checked out the neighborhood. The sellers are still living there. It's very frustrating wanting to view a house that is on the market, only to be ignored.

Calvert girl- We are not in a contract with any realtor. Just browsing the market. The reason we are looking now (and I know this is not common) but our friend bought a house with 6 months still on their lease. They were lucky enough to find a seller who paid their remaining lease.:faint:

Clem- I'm not sure about your advice...but I'll make sure they test for radon and we get a home inspection with someone we trust. Thank you for that :razz:
 

glhs837

Power with Control
That number is a scale marking, the line above it is a representative of that distance. You can use to judge distances on the map better. And theres a measurement tool you can use also. Pull up map tools, about halfway across is a ruler, you can use that tool to measure things. The "i" tool will bring up a highlight of the property lines.

One way this comes in handy is that silly five acre parcel in St James, 300K for five acres with a 2,000 square foot house sounds great. Till you map it and see it's a shallow rectangle, over half of which is taken up by overhead high tension wires, the rest is a 50 foot wide rectangle that paralleled rt 235.

Google Maps
 

Clem_Shady

New Member
Thanks for the responses. Lots of helpful websites, they will most definately help with our search.

glhs- Using geoblade there is a number (ex: 300ft) on the lower right hand corner. Dumb question, but is that referencing sea level? We have done exactly what you have done in the past. We drove by the home we are interested in viewing, checked out the neighborhood. The sellers are still living there. It's very frustrating wanting to view a house that is on the market, only to be ignored.

Calvert girl- We are not in a contract with any realtor. Just browsing the market. The reason we are looking now (and I know this is not common) but our friend bought a house with 6 months still on their lease. They were lucky enough to find a seller who paid their remaining lease.:faint:

Clem- I'm not sure about your advice...but I'll make sure they test for radon and we get a home inspection with someone we trust. Thank you for that :razz:

You'll find lots of great home buying information here:

HOMEDEBTORS

:popcorn:
 

Suz

33 yrs & we r still n luv
I was thinking along the same lines as glh but didn't know how to post it without offending so didn't.

Sales is sales and most sales people can smell a tire kicker a mile away.

Realtors justify Realtors, you walking in to a transaction without one shows them you aren't respecting their position. You'll have better luck having a Realtor work for you. It comes out of the sellers pocket, not the buyers and data suggests that one doesn't get a better deal or "save" that 3% (or whatever) when not using a Realtor. Most buyers end up better off with a Realtor even if the seller would have accepted the sales price minus buyers side commission.

Before the Realtors unload on me, if a Realtor is needed they can be priceless. If one has a doubt, talk to someone involved in a transaction where things went sour without one. Better way to say it is you walk away after a transaction thinking "I didn't need a Realtor for that" or thinking they didn't earn their keep; then they did a good job because that is what is should feel like.

The less it seems like they work, the better they are. Think about it, if they find you the perfect house the 1st trip out, they are a better Realtor than the one that takes you to 80 properties that don't fit your criteria, as an example.

Call a Realtor, if too pushy get another one.

Anyway, good luck on your new house!!

Couldn't have said it better myself. Tks Mark.

And Clem....Don't even go there. From your comments in this thread (I'm ignoring all your previous since we once worked together) You have no clue about the standards (Federal, State and Local), education, training and the down right hard work we realtor's have to live up to, just to hold the license. Not to mention the YEARLY cost. 'nuff said for tonight.
 

Clem_Shady

New Member
Couldn't have said it better myself. Tks Mark.

And Clem....Don't even go there. From your comments in this thread (I'm ignoring all your previous since we once worked together) You have no clue about the standards (Federal, State and Local), education, training and the down right hard work we realtor's have to live up to, just to hold the license. Not to mention the YEARLY cost. 'nuff said for tonight.

Suz, have they taught you how to manipulate the DOMP on an old listing yet?

:whistle:
 
S

samgetty

Guest
get a buyers realtor

I was thinking along the same lines as glh but didn't know how to post it without offending so didn't.

Sales is sales and most sales people can smell a tire kicker a mile away.

Realtors justify Realtors, you walking in to a transaction without one shows them you aren't respecting their position. You'll have better luck having a Realtor work for you. It comes out of the sellers pocket, not the buyers and data suggests that one doesn't get a better deal or "save" that 3% (or whatever) when not using a Realtor. Most buyers end up better off with a Realtor even if the seller would have accepted the sales price minus buyers side commission.

Before the Realtors unload on me, if a Realtor is needed they can be priceless. If one has a doubt, talk to someone involved in a transaction where things went sour without one. Better way to say it is you walk away after a transaction thinking "I didn't need a Realtor for that" or thinking they didn't earn their keep; then they did a good job because that is what is should feel like.

The less it seems like they work, the better they are. Think about it, if they find you the perfect house the 1st trip out, they are a better Realtor than the one that takes you to 80 properties that don't fit your criteria, as an example.

Call a Realtor, if too pushy get another one.

Anyway, good luck on your new house!!

Agree with all above and want to clearly say: get your own realtor and do not ever use the listing realtor for a property. Using the listing realtor makes that agent your agent.

Talk to friends and use a trusted recommendation. If buying a new home use your own realtor, not the home builders' realtor. Have bought 6 homes and a realtor is a necessity.
 
S

samgetty

Guest
No it doesn't. :lol:

Clarification then:

if you use a realtor to view their listing and decide to purchase that property, that agent could claim to be your realtor. this has happened to me. so to avoid this, get your own agent and sign a buyers agent contract. Or maybe Maryland has banned this practice.
 
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