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Consumers Share Their Real Estate Stories
 By Judy Wade
Buying or
selling a home can range from a stressful, hectic experience to a situation that
flows smoothly with minimal tension and few problems. When things go very badly,
consumers say it can be a nightmare. The common thread among buyers and sellers
seems to be that the agent is the expert, with the duty to conduct things
inherent in the profession honestly, efficiently and pleasantly. All individuals
interviewed here agree that the success of any real estate transaction depends
on the agent.
"Being an absentee landlord had not been easy, and I didn't
figure that being an absentee seller would be any walk in the park either. But
when I decided to put my Van Nuys condo on the market, I was pleasantly
surprised. My REALTOR¨, someone I'd known before I left California, sent me
comps, then overnight expressed the preliminary papers for me to sign. She
ironed out logistical problems with the security system so that the place could
be shown easily, and worked with my tenants so that they weren't bothered
needlessly. Although I ended up taking the place off the market, I will
absolutely list with this REALTOR¨ another time. She kept me informed of
everything that happened, helped me understand the current market situation in
California as it affected my property, gave me tips on how to entice buyers in a
depressed market, and in general kept in touch without driving me nuts with
phone calls and faxes. She was gracious, helpful and at all times professional,"
Judy from Phoenix raves.
"In her eagerness to close a deal, our agent told
us that the house we were interested in had two other offers pending, so we'd
better offer full price, and do it now. We thought that was strange because we
knew the house had been on the market awhile. So we checked with a friend, also
a REALTOR¨. He said there were no pending offers, and the last offer, two months
before, had been well below asking price. When we confronted our agent, she
offhandedly said she'd made a mistake. Needless to say, we changed agents
immediately," relays Tyrone and Lydia from Oakland.
"Over the past 20 years
that I've worked with my REALTOR¨, she's helped me buy and sell almost two dozen
properties that I use as rentals. She has an ability to function within my time
frame so that I never once have had to take time from my job [non-real
estate-related] or take calls at my office regarding a transaction. I've never
even filled out paperwork myself. She's always done it for me. She also takes
charge of finding the best loans. She's very good at what she does and never
makes me feel pressured. I always know she's working on my behalf. Somehow we
always end up winning, and she never has to get pushy to do it. We work well
together, because I don't like to be a ball-buster. I prefer to negotiate so
that everybody wins and she's willing to work that way," says Sherri from
Manhattan Beach.
"We drove by a great house with a for-sale sign on the
Friday of Memorial Day weekend, called the real estate office and talked to a
woman who said no one was working that weekend, and she'd get back to us on
Tuesday. We thought that was odd, so [we] called back and got a fellow who said
he'd be there in ten minutes. He immediately picked up that we [weren't] big on
dithering. We made our decision to get the house, now let's get on with it.
That's what he did. Every step of the way he helped, putting us in touch with
financial people, a home inspection company (he even was there with a flashlight
to help us look at the attic) and an appraiser. He always returned calls
immediately, he was prompt and he took care of all the boring paperwork. At
final signing he picked us up, took us to the escrow office and stayed with us
to make things as easy as possible. Having him shepherd us through the process
kept us from having to worry about our lack of knowledge about real estate
transactions," Jeremy and Belinda from La Jolla confide.
"We were working
with an agent and had a bid verbally accepted on a home we liked. But the
listing agent was in the same office as our agent, and between the two of them
they cooked up a price war between us and another buyer. It went on and on until
things really got ugly. Finally we said enough is enough, and the other party
got the house. We explained the situation in writing to the manager of the real
estate office, who compensated us for our aggravation with a $1,000 check. A
week later, working with another agent, we found a house that we liked better
and was a better investment, so we look at it as an all's-well-that-ends-well
situation," Justine and Jerald from Kentfield share.
"If it hadn't been for
my first real estate agent, I'd never be in the good financial shape I'm in
today. My mother died and left me a small inheritance that I wanted to use to
buy a house. I also was about to marry a woman with a small child. My agent was
able to explain my options, pointing out things that as a single person I would
never consider, but that I'd have to take into account as a new father. For
example, I never would have checked on school districts if my agent hadn't done
it for me. Also, I knew nothing about applying for a loan. He explained points
and PMI and all the lingo about which I didn't have a clue. That was ten years,
and two houses ago. He continues to give me good, sound information that has
helped us move up to bigger and better homes," says Michael from Orinda.
"What can you say about an agent who helps you find someone to watch your kids
while she shows you houses, locates a kennel for your dog and cat, picks up your
dry cleaning, takes you to lunch and brings you flowers and champagne when you
move in? It was really difficult for us with a 3 and a 5-year-old to schedule
time to house hunt, and then during the hubbub of packing, our pets just went
crazy. Our agent offered her daughter as a babysitter and picked up our pets and
had them kenneled at a nearby vet's during the move. No matter what our problem,
she was there to solve it. If we'd had an earthquake, she'd probably have been
there picking up the pieces. When we're ready to buy another house, she's the
only one we'd consider using," beam Martin and Nancy from Sacramento.
"My
agent never should have taken my listing. I admit my condo in San Diego was not
exactly a hot property with the market in such a slump, but she did absolutely
nothing to help the situation. She was not motivated at all. She had one
REALTOR¨ caravan, never did an open house, never advertised. To get it in the
paper, I had to take photos of the condo, bring them to her and pay for the ad
myself. When an offer finally was presented, it was so low it was ludicrous. It
was the buyer's broker who had to explain to me that the offer was in line with
what other condos in my building had recently sold for. My agent had never even
pulled comps. She clearly just wanted to list it and grab the commission when it
sold," reports Cliff from Olympia, Washington.
"I appreciate it when an
agent admits what she doesn't know. Recently I purchased a piece of unimproved
land that was owned by a conservatorship, which meant that there were many
legalities involved in the sale, including approval by trustees and by the
court. As soon as my agent realized the intricacies of the transaction, she
suggested I employ a real estate attorney, offering to find one for me if I
didn't know one already. The agent continued to be helpful and attentive, freely
admitting when she didn't have an answer, then [consulting] with the attorney.
The deal, although tricky, went as smoothly as possible," relays Roger from
Pacific Palisades.
Clients' perspectives of REALTORS¨ apparently are shaped
in many ways. As one buyer put it, "I have to feel that my agent understands
what I want and is looking out for my best interests. If I'm sure of that, as a
team we can get through almost anything." The names used in this article have
been changed. Judy Wade is a freelance writer.
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