Why are you posting this?

Maybe because it's related to the topic "Buying and Selling Homes"?

I enjoyed the story, a word of warning!

I loved your post. Thanks for sharing!

I don't understand the reason for this post either. From what is posted it doesn't seem the buyers even looked at the FSBO condo or had contact with the sellers. So I don't know how they could be considered rude or inflexible by a Zillow listing or gossip from an acquaintance. Maybe more to the story?

Sounds like comparing apples and oranges......

I don't get this post either...unless it was just to be snarky towards FSBO. NancyLouise

I don't get this post either...unless it was just to be snarky towards FSBO. NancyLouise

Well, never mind, but it was pretty clear.

This post was edited by cearbhaill on Mon, Jan 26, 15 at 9:05

At the risk of feeding a troll, I would like to offer a translation of the original post for your consideration...

Realtor: I just wanted to send you a short note to thank you for helping me close on a lovely condo with my buyers.

Translation: Thank you for allowing me to spam your free forum to advertise for my industry and spread FUD related to FSBO despite the overwhelming success of DIY sales in almost every other domain (see Ebay, Craigslist, etc.)

Realtor: They had been considering a much less expensive, smaller (1BR/1BA) condo exactly like yours, but since you were rude and inflexible on your overpriced Zillow listing that only had two crummy interior pictures, they passed on looking at yours and decided to buy a much more expensive, 2BR/2BA condo around the corner.

Translation: After telling my buyers I had a fiduciary duty to represent their best interests, I successfully hid from them a property that met their needs in terms of size, bedrooms, location and price. Because they were unaware of this property, I was able to steer them to a more expensive property and thereby increase my commission. They didn't even negotiate too aggressively on the larger property because they were unaware of the viable alternative. Cha-ching! Thank goodness the internet is anonymous!

Realtor:Also, although you seem to think you know what you're doing, you came off as weird and creepy to another acquaintance, so I'll now be working as her buyer's agent to purchase another property in the complex.
Good luck with your FSBO.

Translation: Sleazy beats creepy every day of the week, especially when most potential buyers won't realize how sleazy I can be until after closing.

Realtor:Respectfully,
A local buyer's agent, who is worth that 4% you wouldn't even consider.

Translation: Ha Ha, I bet some readers are so dumb they think buyers agents are typically paid 3% or more. Hopefully my buyers aren't aware average total commission in the US is 5.4% or less. See you at the closing table suckers!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Economist: Avg Commission 5.4%

who's the troll?

Chill out, folks. (and thank you, weedyacres)

This was supposed to be a short lesson for how NOT to FSBO. How often do we have newbies jump on this board and expect us to tell them how to do it? And we often do try to help. We tell them about advertising, and flat-fee services, and taking pictures and we critique their pictures, and we help them set the price, and tell them that they need to be available to show their property, and so on.

How many times have folks jumped on this forum and complained that they weren't getting showings, or offers, and how long their property was on the market and the first answer we give: it's probably overpriced! (FSBO and MLS alike)

But there's also an immeasurable factor that people may not be aware - how they come off to strangers. (A Realtor just posted on another board how some guy locked the front door when she and her female customer walked inside, and when she made out that house wasn't right, so sorry to bother him, he physically blocked the door, and they only got out because the customer's husband who was in law enforcement had been outside taking a call, came to their rescue with a loaded weapon...and then the Realtor killed in Arkansas, and so we are all quite wary of that "sixth sense" creepy factor right now.)

Many, if not most of the longtime members of this forum have quite successfully bought and sold FSBOs. Many folks have the savvy and skills, but many think they do, but don't.

My buyers were with me when the condo manager told us about the FSBO on Zillow that was exactly what they were looking for (a 1/1 that looked in towards the courtyard vice the many that face the street). I told them I'd talk to the seller, but also was straight up with them that my impression was that he would be difficult to work with, but they could do so on their own. (I was not willing to represent them with this guy, but I might have if they specifically asked me to.) As savvy buyers, they were not impressed with how overpriced it was already, with no upgrades.

They were also with me when I told the tenant of the 2/2 listing we were looking at, who was looking to buy a 1/1 as well, about the Zillow listing, in case she didn't know. I said nothing about my impression of the seller. And she told us about how the guy stood too close, and was creepy, and she flat out would not buy from him because she didn't want to deal with that guy. And she also refused to go see the property alone. Sleazy, creepy, whatever you want to call it. I felt better that it just wasn't me who got a bad impression, and I only talked to him on the phone. She has to live in the same complex with the guy until he does sell.

And you'll have to just believe me, but commission isn't my motivation for being a buyer's agent. I enjoy successfully finding a great place for my customers and hoping they'll be happy. Today I even had fun opening the front door of a rental listing and the gal just gushed about the view - "I've got to live here!" It was so cool. (Commission: double digits)
One of the condos we looked at offered a 1.25% split (which would have had the same additional splits described below - therefore likely below minimum wage for my work), but I showed it anyway. Asking for a 4% commission was two-fold - to get a feel of how this FSBO fellow negotiated, or not, and because I knew right up front that if this happened, this was going to be way more work than I was going to earn. And for the record, because these buyers were a referral (split typically 25-50%), and because I'm a buyer's agent for a listing agent (split) and I'm new to my brokerage (split), the final for me was far, far less than 3%. But that was not going to change the amount of work I had to do to successfully close for my happy customers.

Sorry if my post was so confusing to so many people. I was just trying to be a bit creative telling it like a note, and thought more would "get it."

**A Realtor just posted on another board how some guy locked the front door when she and her female customer walked inside, when she made out that house wasn't right, so sorry to bother him, he physically blocked the door, and they only got out because the customer's husband who was in law enforcement had been outside taking a call, came to their rescue with a loaded weapon...**

Holy smokes! Please tell me that the husband then had the pleasure of arresting the guy for false imprisonment and menacing!

If that was truly your intention to educate, then you missed the mark with your snarkiness. NancyLouise

"Sorry if my post was so confusing to so many people. ....thought more would "get it."

I got it. I think most did. Most of those who "got it" read it, smiled/chuckled/nodded --- and moved on to the next post. Those who didn’t "get it” stopped and posted a response. That’s all.

I appreciated the post, as well as the style it was written in. Thanks, C9.

(edited a mis-matched verb tense)

This post was edited by Function_First on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 11:54

I got it. Also thought about a post back before the holidays that started in a similar manner -- posted by a FSBO who was very snarky and sounded like someone most of us would not want to deal with.