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Obligation to Realtor, with FSBO house I found?

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KPGrubbs

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Washington

I met with a Realtor a few months ago and he sends me listings every once in a while (not in the area I want), and in the past 3 months he has shown me 2 houses, one that we made an offer on and were out bid.

My question is I found a house For Sale By Owner and I want to make an offer on it, am I obligated to my realtor??? I really don't think he has done anything to justify his 3%. The seller has said that he will take an offer with a realtor, but it will be factored into his decision when he accepts an offer. What should I do???

Thanks,

Kyle
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
KPGrubbs said:
What is the name of your state? Washington

I met with a Realtor a few months ago and he sends me listings every once in a while (not in the area I want), and in the past 3 months he has shown me 2 houses, one that we made an offer on and were out bid.

My question is I found a house For Sale By Owner and I want to make an offer on it, am I obligated to my realtor??? I really don't think he has done anything to justify his 3%. The seller has said that he will take an offer with a realtor, but it will be factored into his decision when he accepts an offer. What should I do???

Thanks,

Kyle

**A: we don't know if you are obligated since you failed to tell us if you signed any agreement witht he Realtor such as a Buyer Rep. etc.
 
Realtor duties go far beyond finding you a house

The short answer to your question is no, you are not obligated to use your Realtor if you didn't sign an agreement with them as the other two asked. If you did sign an agreement, you can usually get out of those pretty easily by just asking. In my state there is acutally a form to cancel the relationship.

I would like to add this: It is a common misconception that all a Buyer's agent does is find a house and that all a Seller's agent does is find a buyer. While those are duties of the agents, that is not all they do. Negotiating the contract and getting you through all the legalities of the transaction are alone "worth the 3%". Are you aware of all of your rights as a buyer and what you can ask the seller to do for you? Do you have ANY way of making sure that you are paying market value (not above market value) for the home? How do you know if that price is fair and if the seller should make any concessions to you?

I'm not saying that YOU can't handle the transaction yourself, but most people cannot. A lot of issues can arise in a FSBO situation that can cause major headaches for you and cost you even more money than if you had just used a Realtor. Maybe the Realtor you are currently working with is not the best one for you, but I bet that if you had a nice conversation with them about your concerns with the service they have provided so far you might both learn to how to work together better to get you what you want. Communication is key. Tell them what you expect of them and ask them what they expect of you. You have duties and responsibilities as a buyer, too.

That's just my $.02.
 

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