Realtor Conflicts and Buyer Agency
by Osman Parvez
According to the Colorado Realtor Commission approved definitions of working relationships, a buyer’s agent “works solely on behalf of the buyer to promote the interests of the buyer with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity.” Yet, brokers are constantly bombarded with enticements that may create conflict with their responsibility as a Buyer’s Agent.
Here’s an example. Let’s say I take up the realtor who emailed me today with an offer for $2500, a chair massage, gift certificates, and a free breakfast (click on image below). Later, when I bring my client to look at the property, at what stage should I disclose the additional bonus and little freebies?
We did broker open houses almost exclusively while I worked in real estate on Nantucket and it was the standard office ritual for Tuesdays and Thursdays. The higher priced listings (generally above $5MM) might offer wine, cheese, and various catered snacks. But cash bonuses for closings plus free massages and shopping gift certificates were unheard of, and for a good reason. Not only are these enticements of dubious benefit to finding a buyer, they also pose a potential conflict if not properly disclosed. To us that means immediately disclosing to our clients any additional benefits or relationships that may exist with the seller before showing the property.
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The ideas and strategies described in this blog are the opinion of the writer and subject to business, economic, and competitive uncertainties. We strongly recommend conducting rigorous due diligence and obtaining professional advice before buying or selling real estate.
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We can highly recommend Sophie. Her attention to detail and communication skills are great. Our home was in area that most realtors are not familiar with, but Sophie took extra time to get to know the neighborhood in order to give us quality service. She also brought in a professional photographer to make our home look its best. Even though the listing was in winter, the house sold quickly. With Sophie’s business and people skills, we have no doubt she will be a top realtor in the area.
Osman was a refreshingly honest realtor. He stressed through the entire process that his goal was to make me happy with my home purchase. I greatly appreciated the fact that he never shied away from pointing out the negatives as well as the pluses of different places while leaving the final decision up to me.
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More about the author
Osman Parvez
Owner & Broker at House Einstein as well as primary author of the House Einstein blog with over 1,200 published articles about Boulder real estate. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and Daily Camera.
Osman is the primary author of the House Einstein blog with over 1,200 published articles about Boulder real estate. His work has also appeared in many other blogs about Boulder as well as mainstream newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and Daily Camera. Learn more about Osman.
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