TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Home Seller Wonders Why Agent Won't Present Offer

ADVERTISEMENT

By ILYCE GLINK Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 18, 2008

Our real estate agent informed us that she has a buyer for our home at the full asking price. However, there is a stipulation that we must offer the house at the asking price to the buyer, not the other way around. Do you know anything about this practice and why it is used?

That sounds very curious.

Generally, a buyer comes to a home and decides to make an offer on it. The seller then has the opportunity to accept, reject or counter the offer.

I can think of a couple possible reasons for requesting the switch.

First, if the buyers do not have a real estate agent helping them, your broker may want you to put the contract together. Ask your agent whether the buyers have their own agent.

Another possibility is that your agent is also representing the buyer. That can create a conflict of interest: One agent can have a hard time trying to get the highest price for his seller and the lowest price for his buyer if he is representing both.

If you do not feel satisfied with your agent's answers, call the managing broker of the firm and request an explanation. If it turns out your broker is representing both sides of the transaction, ask the managing agent to assign you - or the buyers - to another agent in the office.

(Real estate agents, if you have a different explanation for this practice, please e-mail me at thinkglink@aol.com, and I will print your responses in a future column.)

Write to Ilyce Glink at Real Estate Matters Syndicate, P.O. Box 366, Glencoe IL 60022; or e-mail thinkglink@aol.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT