Many home buyers and sellers distrust real estate agents. We can’t say we blame them. Being in the real estate business for as long as we have, you see all kinds of rotten things some real estate agents try. But, just like other professions, many agents are ethical, even though some are not.
We have tried for years to warn our clients of the tricks that some agents pull, sometimes unsuccessfully. Take for example open houses. Every time we take a listing, a question that always comes up is “Will you be conducting open houses?” Our answer is obviously yes, especially if the home could sell faster and/or for more money for the seller. But we also warn that an open house is can be a tool used by some agents to obtain new clients, NOT to sell the property.
Even though we are sincere, most home sellers have a hard time believing us about open houses, even if they trust us and know us well. But I recently found a video by 20/20 and ABC News about dirty little tricks some underhanded REALTORS and the real estate practices they employ.
So check out the video, but please remember not all real estate agents and REALTORS are bad. Many of us have good souls and genuinely care about our clients and their real estate transactions: