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Practicing good seller's etiquette
Let's face it: When your house goes on the market, you're not only opening the door
to prospective buyers, but also sometimes to unknown vendors and naive or unqualified
buyers. As with any business transaction, there is an expected protocol to how sellers,
buyers and their respective agents interact. Should you find yourself in a sticky
situation, alert your agent so he or she can address and remedy the problem.
Aggressive agent
When your agent puts your house on the market, typically all promotional materials
state clearly that your agent is the primary contact for buyers and buyers' agents.
However, sometimes a buyer's agent will contact a seller directly to try to either
win over their business or cut the seller's agent out of the deal. This is not reputable
behavior and you should report it to your agent immediately if it happens to you.
The unscrupulous vendor
Have you ever started a business or moved into a new house and suddenly found your
mailbox full of junk mail? Unfortunately, this also can happen when you put your
house on the market. When you sell your home, it necessitates all kinds of new purchasing
decisions and less-than-ethical vendors are keenly aware of this. Though MLS organizations
enforce rules on how posted information is used, some companies have found ways
to cull information from various sources to produce mass mailing lists. If you find
yourself regularly emptying your mailbox of junk, let your agent know. He or she
can tap the appropriate sources to prompt an investigation into the matter.
The naive buyer
Yard signs, Internet listings and other advertisements can generate a lot of buzz
for your home. Some prospective buyers - particularly first-timers - will be so
buzzed to see your home that they'll simply drop by. If this happens, no matter
how nice these unexpected visitors are, it's best not to humor their enthusiasm
by discussing your home or giving an impromptu tour. Instead, politely let them
know that your real estate agent is in charge of scheduling tours and provide them
with the agent's contact information. If you attempt to handle these surprise visits
on your own, you might inadvertently disclose information that could hurt you during
negotiations down the road.
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