16 Comments

  1. You have some great info that clarifies how to hire a good real estate agent. I hadn’t thought about the ethical part of working with an agent who has a lot of listings. Plus, that creepy looking guy next to the second myth makes me want to really think about who I am hiring!

    • Hi Ridley, Yes – Exactly! That’s why it turned into a different article altogether. I’ve come across many many shady agents and brokers, and this is also why I haven’t hired any under my Brokerage either. A few years ago, I briefly had three agents under my Brokerage, and after a few months, I realized they simply didn’t want to work. They didn’t want to contact sellers who are facing foreclosure, they didn’t want to work short-sales, they wouldn’t network or find other resources and leads, and they were, basically, wasting my time when I was providing them with quality leads in order to help people who were actually in financial distress and facing certain foreclosure. When I asked about the legally required paperwork when initially showing a home to a prospective buyer, they weren’t even doing that… and that’s why I told all three to find another Brokerage. I’m done. So, not only are there unethical agents and brokers, but many are not willing to put in any time and effort, they are not practicing legal standards, and they are not providing legal documentation which could actually get me and my Brokerage into legal trouble… No thank you! I’m done…
      Thanks for stopping by!
      ~MMH

  2. MargartWithers

    Hey are using WordPress for your site platform?

    I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get
    started and create my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to make your own blog?
    Any help would be really appreciated!

    • Hello,
      Yes, I am using a variety of WordPress sites. If you wish to learn more about them, you may consider joining Wealthy Affiliate. Once you do, you will receive two free domains to use while you continue your learning process. Even if you do not pursue building your own blog or static site, the two free domains will remain for your use.

      As for html, no, it’s not necessary to learn html using WordPress, but, most likely, you will eventually learn some coding if you wish to build any type of blog or even a static site. But, Wealthy Affiliate can help you out there as well. We have ongoing support, multiple courses and lessons, videos, tutorials, a live chat room 24/7/365, and there are many discussion threads on an ongoing basis. Come and check it out: Wealthy Affiliate.

      Also, I am planning on writing my next article on WordPress, so please check back! For now, thank you for your visit!
      ~MMH

  3. Alfredo Alexakis

    If you use a listing agent to buy a home, consider how hard the listing agent is going to negotiate the price with the seller, who also happens to be their client.  Same goes for any negotiations from the

    • Many states have addressed this problem. In the past, yes, many listing agents would not tell the prospective buyers that they are, by law, representing the seller. They used to remain quiet. Today, in Massachusetts anyway, we are “required” to notify both the seller/owner as well as the potential buyer that if the buyers wish to proceed with the same list agent, they must sign disclosures with ALL parties allowing this arrangement. If this document, which includes definitions of who represents who, is not signed, and the buyer later wants to sue someone for misrepresentation, it would be harder because all parties were, in fact, notified.

      But, even with that required, yes, there are many buyers who just don’t realize that just by wandering into a real estate office or speaking with an agent, what they say “can and will be used against them” if that brokerage is listing that home because the list agent is representing the seller/owner until another arrangement is made. It is state law that an agent or brokerage MUST CONVEY any and all information provided by a potential buyer that may or may not affect a sale. True! So, if you’re a buyer, and you think it’s wise to just waltz into a real estate office thinking you’d get a good deal because they are the list agent – I do hope you keep your mouth shut…. If you can’t, then you need a buyer’s agent to represent you. I’ve seen this many times, and the buyer’s end up paying for something they really shouldn’t have…

  4. Roland

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  5. McKenzie

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  6. This is some great information, and I appreciate your suggestion to find a real estate agent who will be available to you. My husband and I are going to be moving out of our apartment and into our first house in the near future, so we need to find a good real estate agent. We’ll definitely look into hiring someone who will be available to us if we have any questions or concerns. Thanks for the great post!

    • Hi Lillian!
      Thanks for your visit and your comment. Yes, my article is also meant for not only sellers who should check to make sure their agent is actually working their listing, but for list agents as well. As a broker, I wouldn’t even hire part-time agents for that reason. If you want to be a list agent in real estate, you need to be full-time in order to provide good service to those who have entrusted you with their home. Otherwise, resign yourself to being a buyer’s agent – which is fine as well. But for me, my agents also wanted listings. When I learned they were not working the leads I was handing them, I cut them loose.

      For your scenario, however, as a buyer, you should look into finding a good buyer’s agent, and you should sign a buyer’s agent contract. That way, that agent exclusively represents you and your interests. So, Good Luck in your quest, and thanks, once again, for your visit!
      ~MMH

  7. Thank you for the information about Sellers and Buyers.
    You are so right about Angie’s List. I have used Angies’s List for many things. Plumbers etc. This is added information that I can use in the future.
    Thanks again..

    • Yes, I’ve used Angies List a few times myself. And, now, they’ve lowered their membership cost to only $5/month! So, it’s a good deal. Thank you for your visit, and I look forward to providing more content for you to enjoy! Thanks for your visit!

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