Realtor #1 Story and Question

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orgopeach_IHB

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I had a post earlier about buying a home in Columbus Grove. I mentioned I went through a few realtors before buying a home with the last one.



Realtor#1 was a nice gentleman. He wasn't exactly our style. After a few months with him and after he lost our personal and sensitive financial information (later recovered), we decided to postpone house hunting and eventually moved onto other realtors.



I recently received an email from him:



"While I feel used on spending so much time educating you on the rates, showing you homes, the short sale process, closing etc, I still would like to wish you the best in your future together and in your new home.



Even though realtor use occurs and the buyer agency agreement/contract helps the agents prevent this use of resource, I still hold to my value that I wont have my buyers sign an agency agreement.



Again, I wish you luck in your careers and your life together. "



At the bottom of the email, he attached a link to the home we just bought. Almost like I know what you guys are up to type of thing.



1. How can one search a recently purchase home solely by name? How do you think he found it?

2. How would you react to this email?





Thanks all!



PM me if you want the Realtor information.
 
Actually to put it in retrospect, I am a prospective client to the realtor. In the business world where I work, we spend time, effort, and expense to pursue and/or keep clients. If the client and I don't match well together, don't have the expertise, or botch the job, we don't get or lose the client. Such is life. In my opinion, this email is a bit unprofessional.
 
Yeah it kinda sucks that he thinks you used him. Did he spend a lot of time with you? Sales people will go out of their way to make you feel special so that you will be guilted into buying something from them. This psychology also works in dating when you buy your date the lobster dinner. Although your date may not give you anything after an expensive meal, the chances increase for every dollar spent.



So #1 realtor bought you a lobster dinner and you gave him nothing...you big tease..



Also, I was in China in 1990, and there were a bunch of beggar kids selling coca cola. As soon as I said i was thirsty...pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!. 5 of the kids had opened their coke cans and begun thrusting their merchandise at me. I didn't buy nothing from them....and they were not happy. FYI 5 cans of coke on the street in Beijing in 1990 was about .25 cents and definitely fake.
 
I think the guy sounds bitter even though he messed up and lost your paperwork. If he was in a real job where he worked for a company and lost your paperwork he would have been fired. If I were you I would either be polite and just not respond or two, tell him to stick it. Personally I like the second option better.
 
Why go to a realtor for an education when you can get it right here? Realtors actually come here to learn. Topics have been discussed from 3 car garages to haunted homes and everything in between.
 
Orgopeach, was this email out of the blue or you had you two kept in touch?



Here is my feeling on it for whatever it's worth (i.e. not much). I personally try to first give somebody the benefit of the doubt when it comes to reading what their motivations are for why they do the things they do. So, let's play devil's advocate and say his intentions were good and he was trying to congratulate you. If that is the case, he may have meant well but he did a poor job. He should have left out the part about him feeling used. That doesn't contribute to the point of the email and there is nothing constructive about it. Now, let's say his motivation was good and his point is to gain feedback to help him refine his services since obviously he's aware you went with someone else. He did a poor job there too. He should have asked you for feedback in the form of open-ended questions and done so politely. Those are the only two positive motivations I can think of. Now, let's say he was trying to use this opportunity to vent to you or make a dig. He succeeded there in giving a back-handed compliment... congratulating you while telling you that you've taken advantage of him. If this is the case, I agree that it is unprofessional and also pointless on his part as he can not expect something positive to come out of his vent of frustration to you at this point. Whichever scenario we go with, it looks like he's done a poor job all around. As for how to respond? I would probably say that I'm sorry he felt used and offer to give him feedback on why you did not end up using him for your purchase. This is, of course, assuming you care enough to spend time to respond to him. You don't have to. If he responds genuinely curious and respectful then sure, why not have an honest conversation about what happened. If he gets snotty, just say that you'd like to be able to recommend his services with confidence but you don't feel you can with the way he's handled your business and the tone of this email. It may not get through to him, but that isn't your fault if you know you mean well. Let us know what happens!
 
Well, he explained things along the way, but sometimes a bit more than we wanted. He's a bit long-winded.



"Orgopeach, was this email out of the blue or you had you two kept in touch?"



This was out of the blue. We had not emailed in several months, and he removed us from the automatic listings.



Good analysis SoCal. He had our sensitive information, including SSNs, for mortgage. If he was malicious, we could have problems. It's hard to tell what could happen if we gave him constructive feedback. We could flat out apologize and leave it there but maybe a no response would be better and he'd forget us? But then again, he found our house after months.



SoCal, any idea how he could find what house we purchased?
 
What's the point of his email? Clearly he is not trying to win your business back, and as a matter of fact he is demonstrating that he knows there is no business to win back by posting a link to the home you purchased. So at its core his email basically says "You f me, and I know where you live --- as a matter of fact, I have been keeping an eye on your activity for several months now".



Sounds like a harrassing email at best. Call the Irvine PD and file a report. Yeah, that might sound extreme, but don't underestimate the potential for irrational behavior during these stressful times. And this guy has all of your sensitive information AND knows where you live. Plus the IPD would be happy for the business.
 
[quote author="orgopeach" date=1251444046]SoCal, any idea how he could find what house we purchased?</blockquote>


With any of the realtors that followed him, did you discuss whatsoever that you had worked with him first? If so, I think it's a possibility that word could have gotten back to him through the grapevine. If you didn't mention him at all, then I don't know if it's possible that he could have stumbled upon the information or would have had to go to lengths to get it. Maybe somebody here will know.
 
[quote author="orgopeach" date=1251444046]Well, he explained things along the way, but sometimes a bit more than we wanted. He's a bit long-winded.



"Orgopeach, was this email out of the blue or you had you two kept in touch?"



This was out of the blue. We had not emailed in several months, and he removed us from the automatic listings.



Good analysis SoCal. He had our sensitive information, including SSNs, for mortgage. If he was malicious, we could have problems. It's hard to tell what could happen if we gave him constructive feedback. We could flat out apologize and leave it there but maybe a no response would be better and he'd forget us? But then again, he found our house after months.



SoCal, any idea how he could find what house we purchased?</blockquote>
Remember how I showed you my SoCal MLS the other day? Well, in the property details that I just pulled up for your property...it is updated to you and your fiance as the new owners of the property. So most likely the realtor would check the Irvine closings that matched what you guys might be interested in against what sold and saw your names on the property detail section in MLS. Sorry to hear that you guys had to deal with a realtard.
 
[quote author="CK" date=1251445905]What's the point of his email? Clearly he is not trying to win your business back, and as a matter of fact he is demonstrating that he knows there is no business to win back by posting a link to the home you purchased. So at its core his email basically says "You f me, and I know where you live --- as a matter of fact, I have been keeping an eye on your activity for several months now".



Sounds like a harrassing email at best. Call the Irvine PD and file a report. Yeah, that might sound extreme, but don't underestimate the potential for irrational behavior during these stressful times. And this guy has all of your sensitive information AND knows where you live. Plus the IPD would be happy for the business.</blockquote>
Great advice and if he has a broker I would call the broker and/or the Department of Real Estate. That is a borderline stalker.
 
If he's stalking them, why would he wait months after they bought to send the email? Or, is that just how long it took for their info to be recorded so he likely just found out?
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251449376]If he's stalking them, why would he wait months after they bought to send the email? Or, is that just how long it took for their info to be recorded so he likely just found out?</blockquote>
We closed escrow about 2 weeks ago which is about how long it takes for the property records detail to update on MLS. Sounds like realtor # 1 was a little bitter that he lost out on their business. If he was any good, he wouldn't have lost their business in the first place.
 
[quote author="awgee" date=1251449876]All real estate transactions are public information and that info can be obtained at the OC Recorders Office.</blockquote>
True, but I doubt the guy would go to the County Recorder's Office just to pull up Grant Deeds on homes closed in Irvine. He found the information on MLS via the property records database.
 
We closed about 2-3 weeks ago. USCTrojan told me one has to actual expend efforts to search for me in particular.



I have not been in contact with that agent for over 3 months. I made no mention of the agent's name or company to any latter realtors, so he must have searched for me.



I think my strategy will be not to send an email. If I find a dead horse head in my bed however, I am calling the Irvine SWAT team.
 
Btw, is there any thread of a list of "evil" or "inept" agents? It might be helpful. Of course there should be some control, confirmation, or voting of information on there to prevent false slander.
 
[quote author="orgopeach" date=1251450401]We closed about 2-3 weeks ago. USCTrojan told me one has to actual expend efforts to search for me in particular.



I have not been in contact with that agent for over 3 months. I made no mention of the agent's name or company to any latter realtors, so he must have searched for me.



I think my strategy will be not to send an email. If I find a dead horse head in my bed however, I am calling the Irvine SWAT team.</blockquote>
***SWAT theme song initiated***



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[quote author="orgopeach" date=1251450847]Btw, is there any thread of a list of "evil" or "inept" agents? It might be helpful. Of course there should be some control, confirmation, or voting of information on there to prevent false slander.</blockquote>
Go for it....call it something like "worthless agent of 2009 awards nomination" thread. haha
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1251442595]Why go to a realtor for an education when you can get it right here? Realtors actually come here to learn. Topics have been discussed from 3 car garages to haunted homes and everything in between.</blockquote>


Haunted homes? There are none in Irvine. Not enough of a past to haunt :-)
 
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