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How Do I Tell My Real Estate Agent I No Longer Want To Work With Him?
I have recently started to work with a real estate agent who is also a neighbor and who I am going to use to sell my house once I buy a new one. But I found out that bringing him into my home search has not really helped me and in fact has hurt me. The houses I liked most so far are the ones that I found myself without his help. And the price that the builders ask for the houses change greatly if you have an agent, so I have realized that just by not having him, I can start out with prices that are at least 5% lower. Now how can I tell him that I no longer want him to help me find a new house but will still want to use him for selling my current home once I am ready for it? I never signed anything, can I get out of this without any legal problem? I like the guy and I am afraid he will hate me after this.
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January 17th, 2010 at 3:47 am
Simply state it in a nice way. If you feel this bad about it, tell him in person. Don’t beat around the bush, and tell him why. He will tell you you should still use him to help in the purchase, but, just let him know how you feel. You will still be using him for the listing, so he can’t get too mad.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:58 am
I think the best way to deal with people that are really involved in money matters to their own benefit is to just tell them, “hey, I am really no longer interested in your services…perhaps, another time.” A reasonable person will read your intentions and bow out. However, if you are not comfortable with telling someone that you no longer need their services I want you to do three things.
1. Write down all of the pros and cons, and consider them deeply.
2. Write down exactly how you are going to tell him that he is no longer needed. Do this several times, as repetition will make it far less painful when you tell him.
3. Muster up the courage and just DO IT, if you send someone else to say your not interested, you will surely get a call from him which will consist of appologies for his services and how he will help you out. You want to avoid that at all costs.
Just stick to your guns. You can do it. Besides, in the end you will be sorry if you didn’t do what you really wanted.
Please consider his value. He could be more useful to you as your agent, but you have all the paperwork and you can make that decision for yourself.
January 17th, 2010 at 8:55 am
in the words of ‘the donald’ …you’re fired.
January 17th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I was in a similar situation 2 years ago when I was working with my co-worker who was also real estate agent. I reccomend you be honest with him and tell him politely. I am sure he would understand, it is a business after all.
January 17th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
tell the realtor. It is the nature of the business,
January 17th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
He is only acting as a Buyers Agent at this time. If you have not signed anything you can walk away at any time. or Make him earn his money and tell him you can buy the new houses at a 5% discount and if he can do better for you then you will hire him.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Be straight up. Tell him first that you appreciate all his help that he has offered so far, but that you’d prefer to continue the house-hunt solo. Before he has the chance to respond, be sure to tell him that you’d still like to work with him on selling your home (that should appease him). Then if he persists in any way, pause thoughtfully, then say, “No, you know what, I really have given this a lot of thought and this is what I feel most comfortable with.” Then steer the conversation into considering the next steps for preparing to sell your house. Be sincere, honest.
January 17th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
You call your real estate agent and tell him that you don’t want him anymore or just write a letter to him!
January 18th, 2010 at 3:39 am
Tell him, “I no longer want to work with you.” Why does eveyone feel the need to cover truth in this country?
January 18th, 2010 at 7:12 am
Just tell him you dont want to work with him anymore.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:41 am
If you didn’t sign anything you shouldn’t be under any obligation. Typically you’ll sign a listing agreement that states you’ve agreed to let the agent sell your home. Then there is also a buyer’s agent agreement and this is where you sign a document stating you are going to allow an agent to search for a home for you. This is how it is determined who gets the commission. If you haven’t signed either of these you’re under no obligation. If there is another agent that you would prefer to work with in finding a home then you can sign up with them or look on your own. If you do sign one of these agreements, you should know that you can terminate it at any time. That’s your right.
January 18th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
I am realtor and I agree with what others have said that this guy should take it in stride. You shouldn’t need to be overly concerned about his feelings. At the same time, he’s a neighbor and you don’t want to feel uncomfortable around him after this. If you haven’t signed anything, you’re not obligated to use him, but it is important to let him know.
One reason is that if you ended up buying a house that he had shown you at some point, regardless of who initially found it, and even in the absence of a written agreement, he might still be entitled to a commission if he could show that he was a “procuring cause”. Typically, it’s the seller that pays real estate commissions. So, it’s not money out of your pocket, but it could put you in an awkward position at closing with both the realtor and the seller.
So, clarify your position with the realtor asap. Telling him that you still intend to list your home with him (if you really mean it) should smooth things over quite a bit. While he won’t be happy about losing your business on the purchasing side, ultimately he’ll appreciate that you value his time enough to not allow him to continue to do searches for you when you have decided that you no longer want him to represent you. Believe me, he’s not going to want to lose your listing too.
Be aware that when a builder offers you a 5 percent discount, they are offering you a lower price in exchange for you giving up the right to be independently represented in the transaction. Their agent will represent them as well as you. That agent’s first allegiance will always be to the builder–not to you. Sometimes that works out just fine. Sometimes it can cost you more than the 5 percent you thought you were going to save. Be sure to look into the reputation of any builder before you sign anything with them. Pay special attention to their track record of performing warranty work in a timely manner.
January 18th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Save him and you trouble by telling him in a polite manner. Email or written to avoid face to face, if your anxious. All good business people can handle rejection.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Just avoid him, lol. Either that or tell him straight up. But whether you use him or another realtor or whatever, be prepared to deal with the consequences of purchasing a home from FSBO without a realtor representing you and looking out for s**t.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
tell him the truth as fast as possible
January 18th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
You’re fired?
January 19th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Just like everyone else says, you should just be able to tell him. I know it’s difficult because he’s your neighbor, but business is business.
Next time you need an agent you should check out http://agentboost.com. They let you choose an agent based on how much commission they charge you and have other resources for people looking for agents.
Good luck!