Can buyers enter a home without an agent?

[DonPoe]

I'm in the process of selling my house in NJ. Currently, the house is unoccupied (we've moved out of state). We have an accepted offer on the house. However, the potential buyers have entered the house 2-3 times without their agent. The agent either provided them the code to the lockbox, or let them in and left. To be fair, they weren't being malicious (they wanted to take measurements), but I wanted to know if this is legal. While their intentions weren't necessarily bad, I find this extremely annoying and unprofessional. I just want to know what the potential fallback would be if something would come up because of this.

 

[Zigner]

Should they be trespassing? No.
Aren't we at a "no-harm, no-foul" point right now, though? Moving forward, let the agent know that you do NOT give permission for this to occur.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

The real estate agent is just that your "agent". She is there to act in your stead. The buyers aren't breaking any law.

And it is somewhat unprofessional of the agent but she did get you an offer you accepted so I don't know that I would make much of a deal of it. As Zigner said you can tell the agent not to do so in the future.

Out of curiosity, how did you find out?

 

[Zigner]

I believe the OP is complaining about the buyer's agent allowing this...

 

[xylene]

BTW - Buyers don't have to have their own agent.

You seem to have a lack of confidence in YOUR agent, despite your house being all but sold pending closing.

 

[Litigator22]

My, my seldom to we hear of such scoundrellish conduct! Your suffering at the hands of these villainous miscreants must be unbearable.

Anyway, perhaps you could describe what you mean by "the potential fallback" as off-hand I can think of no legal remedy designed to award pettifogging and nitpicking.

 

[Zigner]

Unless the seller is paying the agent (and that is pretty rare) the seller doesn't have an agent.

I don't believe it's "rare" for a seller to have an agent.

 

[xylene]

Unless the seller is paying the agent (and that is pretty rare) the seller doesn't have an agent.

wut? Only a small fraction of homes are sold FSBO.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I meant to say BUYER is paying the agent. It is rare for a seller to have an agent.

 

[quincy]

I meant to say BUYER is paying the agent. It is rare for a seller to have an agent.

No. It is common for a seller to have an agent.

 

[Zigner]

Also, it is common for a buyer to have an agent.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Unless the buyer is paying the agent (and that is pretty rare) the buyer doesn't have an agent.

I think I have written what I meant to write in the first place.

 

[quincy]

Buyer's agents are not uncommon.

And most sellers will use an agent.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Buyer's agents are not uncommon.

I can't find any statistics on the issue. But I don't know anyone that has used a buyer's agent and my circle of acquaintances isn't small and has purchased a lot of homes.

And most sellers will use an agent.

Yep, 87% of 2017 sales.

 

[Zigner]

I can't find any statistics on the issue. But I don't know anyone that has used a buyer's agent and my circle of acquaintances isn't small and has purchased a lot of homes.

I wonder why the phrase "procuring cause" came about then...