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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 naïve 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.
The
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 naïve 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.