Just thought that you haven't had any counter rambles for a while so here's one for you! Buying a house really sounds like flossing your teeth with barbed wire.

Justin, sorry to hear of your bad experience. I am a REALTOR in South Dakota. I share some of your feelings with bad agents. I have to deal with them everyday. Not all are bad but some are, and they should not be in the business. Some are really crooked bastards that have no right to hold a license. Its just that people like that give us all a bad name. Not all REALTORS are bad, and just out to make a buck. Many are hard working people that work tword their clients best interest. I know I do my best to make my clients happy, and if they aren't I try to do what ever is possible to correct it. Please don't judge is all on your bad expirence, and please do not build or buy a house again. Just do better on picking the people that work for you.

ALL REALTORS SUCK!!!! I have a hard time believing that they can all be liars, but they are slowly but surely proving to be. I am trying to sell a ranch (3.5 Years now) and every one wants the listing,,because they all have a "client looking for exactly this". After you commit to the contract,,,,,,,nothing,,no buyer,,no more contact. Liars,,,,,they are simply crooks that are too lazy to steal.

Right on Bill!

What I did with the realtor in FL which was selling my house is add into the contract that if I felt, for whatever reason, that they weren't working in my best interest I could terminate the contract.

I told her if she didn't add that, I wouldn't list with her. And, when I thought she was doing something bad... I reminded her that I could fire her right there. She changed her tune.

When I sold my house in CT, I also had issues with my realtor. Another lame person who just wanted the listing, and did nothing. I told the owner of the company that I'd rip their sign out of my yard and find a new realtor. He said "but, you signed a contract" and I told him that the contract wouldn't stand up in court because they weren't representing me in my best interest and I'd be happy to call the Attorney Generals office on the matter. I reminded him that they work for me, not the other way around.

Within 24 hours we had a new agent, and the house sold in 3 weeks.

I signed an Exclusive Right to Sell Agreement between zipRealty Broker Crystal Batts and myself on September 30,2003. Crystal Batts' agent, Donna Atkinson, executed the contract and agreed to deliver the services promised within.

The most important service offered was the promise to submit my listing to TWO multiple listing services, FMLS and MLS.

In late November of 2003, Donna Atkinson left zipRealty. On December 15, 2003, Laurie Beecher of zipRealty informed me that my house had NOT be submitted to MLS. She subsequently submitted my house to the MLS database for the remaining 15 days of the 90 day listing contract.

Although, I cannot directly prove that Donna Atkinson's failure to submit my house to the MLS was the cause of the expired listing, I can say that an important and clear promise was broken.

In Atlanta, there are two multiple listing services. However, the vast majority of agents in Gwinnett County, where I live, utilize only the MLS database. Since my home was not listed in the MLS database from 75 days of the 90 day listing, I never received the exposure that I was promised.

If you want to tell zipRealty how much they SUCK, call Crystal Batts, the broker who supervised the agent who screwed me. Crystal 404.271.0398

Hi Bill,

What a terrible experience. Whenever I have listed a home, I always look on realtor.com a few days later to see that it is listed. I also asked for a copy of the MLS listing to be sent to me within a weeks time. Mainly, for the same reason.

Not listing in the MLS helps nobody. Realtors won't see your house, and your realtor will make no commission.

Anyways.. if submitting to MLS within a certain timeframe is in your contract, I'm sure you could collect damages for breech of contract. You can also contact and complain to whomever oversees real estate licenses in your state.. the BBB, Chamber of Commerce, Consumer Affairs, etc... Having no exposure for 75 days is inexcusable.

Realtors are lazy, worthless scum who collect a huge amount of money for doing nothing. When they show a house, they say nothing, therefore, they won't say the wrong thing. For example....if a client asks "Gee, is that berber carpet?"
The realtor will say "well, it could be." See, I've learned that if they were to say "yes, that is berber carpet" they run the risk of the client saying "oh, I hear that doesn't wear very good." So therefore, they say nothing. Our home is for sale and the agent showing it was asked by the client "Oh, is that a totally fenced in backyard." The realtor said "i'm not sure." When the client said "oh well if it is, that would be great because we have dogs." Immediately, the realtor says "oh yes, it is totally fenced in." (by the way, she knew it was fenced in because it says that in the listing papers...of course, as most realtors, she probably didn't read them anyway.).
Oh well, remember, real estate is a profession for people who can't make it at anything else. No one has ever grown up and said "Gee, someoday I'd like to sell real estate." No one has ever gone to college so they could get a master's degree in realty....realtors are people who got fired from other jobs and wound up working for the only place always hiring....the local Century 21 or Coldwell Banker.
Think about it...it's true. AS for you realtor's who'll try to rebuttle me....Fuck you...try selling a house now and then instead of just buying ads in crappy local papers and hoping someone will see it. Oh and by the way...has anyone ever heard of a realtor who could actually negotiate a decent deal? No one I know.
Feel free to e-mail me back realty asswipes...I love to hear your sides of the stories.

Stay away from wiechert realtors (financial area, mortgages etc) in Brick NJ.
I have had the worst experience with these guys.
They promise you the world, "loan is approved,
no problem, give me your check". Next day you
get a call saying there's a problem at the bank....bla, bla, bla. You've been warned!

:)

I have been selling real estate for 25 years, as a single mother I put my son through college and helped him go into his own business as an environmental consultant. Showing properties is the easiest part of real estate. Negotiating is almost non-existent in regard to contracts for buying and selling, most buyers and sellers already have a mindset about what they want and what they will buy or sell for. Providing information and having up to date knowledge about prices, real estate ethics, changes in laws, etc. is where my expertise lies. In other words protecting my buyers and sellers from overpaying for their wants or underpricing on properties. I can't make their decisions. I inform them about the market, advise them of the requirements for buying and financing, show them their choices and avenues for acquiring the property they want or selling the property they have. I have been successful at making a living in real estate but never at the expense of my people. I average thousands of dollars a year in dues, thousands of dollars in supplies and several thousands for advertising. That advertising inludes the internet, local magazines, newspapers, periodicals, open houses, etc. True there are many unscrupulous and undesirable people in the business, however there are many more hardworking, honest and competent people like myself. We pay all of our own expenses as an independant contractor including car expenses, telephone costs and on and on. It is not a glamorous business as some might think. I actually showed property on Christmas Eve this year and have done so on many occasions when i would have preferred being home resting or being with loved ones. I get calls as early as 5 a.m. in the morning and as late as 2 or 3 a.m. in the morning for people who have concerns such as "buyers or sellers remorse" As a single grandmother I sometimes face danger in showing homes to unknown people. I am very careful and have never had a problem but there are those who have not been so fortunate. I am not lazy, I had 6 heart bypasses 5 years ago at the age of 49. I have other chronic health issues and was diagnosed with cancer yesterday. I work very hard and under intense pressure at times. I am not rich and I earn every single penny I make. I drive a 5 year old car and do my own yardwork. The only reason I have stayed in real estate this long was because initially when my son was in school I went to every football game, soccer match, track meet and wrestiing meet that he ever competed in. It offered me flexibility with time as it does now....on those days when my arthrtis is so bad I need a little time to get going in the morning...........so think again before you say all Realtors are worthless, lazy and scum. This lazy person is still up and will be for a few more hours trying to pull listings to show tomorrow and doing research.

x

Realtors are generally uneducated scum, that can't get employment in other areas.

Sorry Shelia.. people seem to agree that realtors are scum. Don't get me wrong, you aren't like a used car salesman... well, you are aside you have a higher priced item to sell. Realtors, as a whole, don't give a crap about your house selling... as long as it sells within your contract time so they get their cut. You don't give a crap about the house they buy. No realtor has ever called me (or anyone I know) 3 months later and asked "How's the new house?" Why not? Because they don't care. You're expected to be in the house for years, so you likely aren't repeat business. At least car salesmen call you and keep contact.. even if it is just to make sure you get your next car from them 3 years later.

I was thinking about getting a real estate license. Mainly to be able to make some easy cash if needed. Drive around, search the MLS, see how people decorate their homes. But, mainly so I can buy and sell property without having to deal with another agent (on my behalf).

Glad your job seems to satisfy you Selia.. but don't kid yourself. People think you are scum.

Realtors are cons and rip offs. They work when they want, not when you want them to.They make in excess of 10,000 dollars for each sale, and the title company does most of the work. We have been burned by two seperate realtors in the past three years-one was an estate property, the other- a new home purchase. We are now for sale by owner(our old home), and it really bites-because realtors have an exclusive on the market. If we ever buy ANY real estate again, we will buy for sale by owner.Agents try to intimidate for sale by owners into believing you must be a licensed broker to sell YOUR OWN STUFF!Like I'm not intelligent enough to educate myself!! You hear all the promises from the agent, but in the end you are still pacing the floors, ringing your hands and biting your nails. We are determined to put a SOLD BY OWNER sign on our front lawn...please wish us luck!!!houseondover.com

I wonder how the real estate business got into the hands of these realtor people. The government should make real estate information (comparable sales prices included) available to people who are committed to buying/selling a home.

These middlemen not only complicate negotiations between the buyer and seller parties and create misunderstandings but are also unprofessional and flaky. The amount of miscommunication that goes on because of having to communicate through two agents is horrible! You don't know who's lying to whom in that process sometimes.

Sellers and buyers can make better deals if given the resources to negotiate on their own. Maybe it's time we protested for that right!

There is no more low down human being than a realtor. What do they really do to justify their huge cuts? Drive up the prices of real estate and refuse to negotiate their fees to make a deal work. They are greedy and unporfessional and lazy too. I hate 'em all.

I'm glad I stumbled upon this website so that I can ad to why the rear estate business is a racket...They get 6% on a 6 million dollar house or on a 60 thousand dollar house...Make good sense to me!

I am currently buying a foclosure property and had a contract to close on April 6th. Well the 6th came and no closing...instead the bank sent an adendum allowing for closing on April 20th. On the addendum it clearly states that if I was the one to requet the addendum then I would be penalized $250.00. However, they did not incur a penalty for requesting the extension. So now they say that they want another extension.

I called my agent (who is also the banks agent) and said that I want to impose a penalty. She tried to steer me away from that saying it may further delay the closing process.

I digress...anyway a realtor is the only person I know of that says they can represent both clients...how can you possibly represent the best interest of opposite sides of the same deal.

I sell all my properties myself. I will not contribute to teh fucking racket of brokers and realtors.

Fucking pissed off,

Mike

We are STILL trying to sell our home F.S.B.O. We have been blackballed by all agents in our area.Some have resorted to pulling out our signs! They will not walkthrough one client, even for a 3% commission.They are dishonest and greedy. Their dream is to be a dual agent, so they can pull the strings of two clients at once, regardless of 'conflict of interest'. They have no scruples,integrity, or ethics.I saw realtor training websites which instructed realtors which type of car to pull up in when approaching for sale by owner houses, in order to entice sellers to 'switch over' to them! Upper management: (Mercedes!) Professional/white collar:(S.U.V!) Blue collar/laborer:(old pick-up with wood thrown in the back!) What sleeeeeze!

I cannot believe the real estate agents lack of knowledge of the law. Our agent was representing both us as the sellers and the buyer. She rushed us to sign a contract with 15 day closing to accomodate a cash buyer. We started to purchase another piece of property , made the deposit , paid for its appraisal and you guessed it the cash buyer is backing out and she has the nerve to tell me we can't sue if we keep his deposit. She was so stupid she did not get his complete address or any phone number accept for his cell. I think our attorney is also going to sue her for negligence. In the meantime we are out a large sum of money and my childrens lives put on hold.

I cannot believe the real estate agents lack of knowledge of the law. Our agent was representing both us as the sellers and the buyer. She rushed us to sign a contract with 15 day closing to accomodate a cash buyer. We started to purchase another piece of property , made the deposit , paid for its appraisal and you guessed it the cash buyer is backing out and she has the nerve to tell me we can't sue if we keep his deposit. She was so stupid she did not get his complete address or any phone number accept for his cell. I think our attorney is also going to sue her for negligence. In the meantime we are out a large sum of money and my childrens lives put on hold.

There are no bad realtors just bad people. These bad people are in evey profession. Ask the Pope!

I am a homeowner....and I despise the real estate business and it's benefits which are creating an affordability crisis for tomorrow's generation. The more people pay for real estate, the less they have for a quality of life for the kids. And the kids will eventually be living in mud huts. Owning a home should not be about wealth. It should be enjoyed. Nobody should be allowed to own more than one home. That will solve the real estate crisis.

Screw the real estate business and Screw realtors.

We have over 300 realtors in our little town of Evergreen, CO. 99% are horny divorcees looking to meet another rich potential. The more the realtors, the more muddy the market gets. Most of these "realtors" are the worst sales people I have ever seen. Some are jealous that people live in better house than they do and the rest want "listings" so they can split the commission for doing absolutely nothing. I am sick of "licensed" agents. give me a salesman anytime!!!

I was just like you guys before I was licensed. My Realtor con'ed me out of $50k for a defective house. I became a Realtor over 3 years ago and yes I have 15 years of Sales & Marketing Experience. I protect my clients and no I don't make fortune. Yes there are bad ones. I don't "double end" deals as I find it a conflict of interest, similar to coaching both sides of a football game. And btw - you know when you sign up for those agent matching services or home finders, compare the best agent etc? They are called interlopers who take 35% of the commission just becasue you signed up through their website. Tada - Now your newly matched agent is off showing homes to someone else instead of giving you the time you deserve because they aren't making ends meet.

Do me a favor. Get your license and work with the general public... sell a few homes. Come back and tell us what you think. Tell us how easy it was and how much $ you made. I dare you. After all, getting your license is the easy part.

And I am sorry to hear about your bad experiences - been there too

Stay away for Prudential Americana Group Realtors in Las Vegas,NV. Notably Robert Conz with Prudential Americana Group, 777 N. Rainbow,Las Vegasm NV.
ROBERT CONZ-used to pump gas at a service station for a living, and is the most 2 faced, back stabbing, lying, rip-off artist you will ever find. He has NO place in this business whatsoever-GO BACK TO THE SERVICE STATION, GAS PUMPER!!!! you are truly a piece of shit!!!!

Stay away for Prudential Americana Group Realtors in Las Vegas,NV. Notably Robert Conz with Prudential Americana Group, 777 N. Rainbow,Las Vegasm NV.
ROBERT CONZ-used to pump gas at a service station for a living, and is the most 2 faced, back stabbing, lying, rip-off artist you will ever find. He has NO place in this business whatsoever-GO BACK TO THE SERVICE STATION, GAS PUMPER!!!! you are truly a piece of shit!!!!

My family has been in real estate for over 30 years and I myself have bought and sold a good bit of property. I fully understand the bad feelings towards realtors. It's a bad system that some might call a racket. The national association of realtors along with individual state associations pay protection money to politicians so the racket is not threatened. It's a fact that realtor associations are the single most active profession in politics. Their PACs give more money than any other profession. Why would an industry that makes no product at all give so much to politicians? They need protection from the lawyers because they are operating a racket. To begin with, they control the supply of buyers by not charging a penny to the buyers. A great deal of work is done for the buyer at the sellers expense. This work is mainly administrative in nature because the buyer's agent is also working for the seller. The law may say that a buyer's agent must represent the buyer's best interest but there will be no real negotiating on the buyer's behalf because the agent gets paid by the seller. If the negotiating gets too tough then the buyer's agent could lose the commission and by negotiating the price downward for the buyer the agent actually cuts the commisssion. This a huge conflict of interest. Knowing that realtors have all the buyers wrapped up by not charging the buyer, the sellers must deal with the realtors to have access to the buyers which only get exposed to "listed" properties. If you are not in the MLS book then forget about selling any time soon. So realtors corner the sellers by controlling all of the buyers who think they're getting free services. The seller gets screwed, the buyer really gets screwed and alot of folks walk away with tons of money that had no interest in the property. The entire process is crooked and protected by the government. Leaves little wonder why the profession might attract some bad people. Perhaps not all realtors are bad people but real estate is a bad business that attracts many bad characters. A good system would allow all sellers the right to list in MLS for a fee and give buyers the right to act as their own agents and have access to MLS. Of course this would cut out the agents that skim their income off of our transactions. The system is rigged! These people are crooks! The politicians they own are co-conspirators! All I can say to them is enjoy the good life for now because there will be hell to pay and it will be eternal. The choice is yours.

If people don't need to sell right away, they can always do By Owner. It's kind of a hassle as the seller (we did it, so I know) because you aren't always sure of the people coming to see your home. Plus, some people want even more of a bargain because it's by-owner. They don't realize they are saving thousands. In FL, I agreed to sell my house for $245k to a guy (who then jerked me around and didn't sign). I ended up selling it for $280k or so after listing with an agent. And, the agent was a real pain as well. I probably would have rather sold the house for 200k to avoid dealing with her.

As for MLS. If I recall, there was a place down there which would get you listed on the MLS for $300 or something. I think it was a realtor who just didn't make you sign a listing agreement or any sort of contract with them saying they get commission. That way, you can sell by yourself, and still be on MLS. Sounds like a good business model to me!

I sold my house for $84,000 in Windsor, Ontario, and received a removal of conditons saying that it had been financed. However, I didn't know that it had not been financed and that the removal of conditions was falsified because the buyer didn't have the money. I then went driving all over the province of Ontario looking for a new place after packing up my things. After I got back, I got a phone call from the agent asking me to finance the buyer with an $8,500 second mortgage, as he could only get $75,500 financing. I thought that this was a bad idea and phoned my lawyer. Now I am staying in my old place and about to unpack. No doubt the vindictive agent, who just about screamed at me on the phone to take the offer, will blackball me with the MLS, making it even harder for me to leave Windsor.

Hi,

I am a realty asswipe, as you say, who is also spending 10+ years in computer programming and quality assurance successfully. The company is still operational and one of the top software companies in its product line. My license is with a very reputable company who fires agents who do not provide excellent service and uses the Ritz Carlton service business model successfully.

I think it is unintelligent to lump all people, or group of people in a profession into one category of being. For one thing, I've known computer programmer asswipes and qa analyst asswipes who could rival any real estate agent in the category of scum and who get buy on bullshit with management. I can't tell you the number of psychos, lazy asses, and mental cases I've worked with in the computer field. Backstabbing, lying, lazy, uneducated, unable to use logic, and generally useless. I can also tell you that I have worked with some outstanding people in this field as well. The same is true in Real Estate.

Secondly, there are people with degrees in real estate and MBA's who specialize in it. If you knew anything about real estate, you would know that there is more to it than just sales. Good sales agents have to know about construction, building, finance, technology, marketing, law, business, time management, and people skills. I am an appraiser and a sales agent, and when I work with clients, I definitely have my reputation and service in mind. I have negotiated deals that took $30,000.00 off the asking price for buyers trying to buy from unrealistic sellers, and I have negotiated deals with sellers that allowed home owners to make money off of their homes since homes are an investment...as long as they weren't trying to rip off buyers by over-valuing their home and trying to sell a defective product...which some homes indeed are. I have pulled buyers out of situations where the builder was doing a poor job, and advised buyers to get out of predatorial lending situations. I have also advised sellers on buyers who are every bit as crooked as you accuse realtors of being.

I have helped for sale by owner people by giving them sideline advice without taking any pay, including spending hours of my time researching property values and guiding them not to get screwed by unscrupulous investors and bullying buyers. These are normally people who don't want to pay commission or cannot afford to pay commission because they did not build equity or have other debt issues. There are people who are willing to pay commission because advertising property is expensive and takes time. What is the difference in this and calling in a consultant to come in and evaluate your computer systems and paying them a bloated salary for something one of your employees could do if you hired intelligent, competent people?

If you think that real estate agents do not work, you might want to think again. I have done much more work as a realtor than I ever did sitting in my cube in a software development company playing Quake, chess, researching, wasting time in meetings listening to political bullshit, and watching decision makers make stupid development mistakes against my advice, only to come back one year later & say..."Ooh...I think we should do it her way now"...after the fact.

Real estate takes business decision intelligence, is a busy life, and is often unrewarding because of the stigma created by short-minded people who stereotype. The only reason you think realtors are the worst is because they are visible and in the public. You see all the screw ups because they are public. I'd love to know how many screw ups you've hidden in your own life and how much hypocrisy you have going in this post.

I've been behind the scenes in corporations and there is no difference. PEOPLE are either asswipes or they are not...and that is why you see more realtors that way...because it is public. Hang out in a development company with your eyes open, and then come back and tell me what you see.

Software developers...build software. Real Estate agents, build communities, coordinate transactions to adhere to the law and to financial standards, and build relationships. Each profession has its own place. And in EVERY profession, there is the asswipe element. What profession are you in? - K

I did a search and found this web site, I can see there are a lot of people out there that have been screwed by Realtors or should I say Agents. I understand 100%. I am a minority in the sense that I am one of the few Home Inspectors that have not caved in to the Realtors demands! I have been yelled at, threatened to be black balled, belittled, and have demanded that I perform certain tasks which were unethical. I am talking about Realtors right here in my small town in Oklahoma. I had no idea that Realtors could be so mean and crooked until I got into this business, and I know I lose a lot of business because of them. Here is an example of what happens to an unsuspectiong buyer. He or she will go to the Realtor thinking the Realtor is working for them and may ask "Do you know any good inspectors?" Of course the Realtor will have a favorite inspector that is in their pocket, or they may provide a very limited list of their favorite inspectors. Unfortunately many inspectors will grovel at the Realtors feet hoping just to get a few crumbs (referrals for home inspections) This whole mess has made me so mad I cannot see straight. I have called the legislators and they pooh pooh the idea of getting laws changed, they say we have to many laws already..........give me a break. There is one state that does have a law on the books that Realtors cannot refer inspectors, that is in Massachussetts. Dennis Robitaille was partially responsible for getting those laws changed, check out his web site. http://www.independentinspectors.org/
If you need a good inspector you will probably find one there, but you need to check them out first.

I want to encourage everyone to take a stand against this evil empire, (Real Estate Agencies) it is way too powerful, we all need to get involved write to your congressman, write to the state, create webs sites on this subject. I would like to see the ordinary everyday person becoming more educated and be able to make wise decisions when buying or selling a house.

Thanks

Larry

You bring up a good point, Larry. I wouldn't use an inspector I think is any way involved with any party involved. That's one person you want to be as unbiased as possibly towards all parties. In small communities, that may be hard, but you can always get someone from a few counties away.

I used the lawyer my realtor was dating when I purchased this house. Terrible thing to do, and was stupid for doing it. But, we had no idea about any attorneys in this area (we were 1500 miles away). Never again.

This was a new house, so I knew things had to be to code when we got it. When I've purchased "used" homes, I have asked the agent for a list of inspectors they trust, then choose someone not on that list based on speaking to others.

You know who sucks? Plumbers.. they come to your house & overcharge you & leave a leak so they have to come back.
You know who sucks? Airline pilots.. they constantly create flight delays so they can get overtime.
You know who sucks? Pastors & Priests..they constantly lie about this GOD guy nobody has ever seen.
SOUND STUPID???? IT IS.

Whatever you do for a living, you suck!

You are lazy and incompetant.You are a liar and a thief. You are greedy and you do not deserve to be on this planet.Everyone that does what you do for a living should be shot on sight!
I don't care if you truly are a good person and you help people every day, you still suck. You really,really suck..... All of you!!!!

You think Realtors suck?! Man, the absolute worst money sucking, lying pigs are programmers. And stupid too! They can't get anything right on my website but act like it is a piece of art they created.I don't even know why people hire them. It is so easy to just build a website yourself and then you don't have to put up with their lazy, sloppy work. My 12 year old could do their job!

My husband and I because we are extremely busy decided to list our house with the local realtor. My husband's comment was "Just let them handle it." What a JOKE!!!!!
When I told them they are going to have to advertise and market this house his comment was "But that cost so much money!"

We did get an offer on our house of course it was low but is was most they could afford and it was something we could have accepted if the realtor would have lowered the commission by 1%. Of course they wouldn't do it, the clients of course walked away, they ended up not buying anything. Our realtor would have gotten a $12,000 (4%) commission on the sale. Help me to understand this, he took nothing instead of $12,000.
We now have it listed FSBO and the local realtors have black balled us to anyone that will listen.
My advise to anyone remotely thinking about selling.
1. Most people will check out FSBO first.
2. You can hire someone to be a go-between.
3. If you do sign with a realtor make SURE you can get out of the contract at anytime during the listing period. If the agent is not doing there job you want to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
4. Do not for any reason let your agent be the buyer's agent too.

in3deep36,

You again show why these people can really suck. I happen to again be selling my house, and again think these people suck.

To your points..

FSBO.. I had tried this in Florida. Many people who look at FSBO seemed to be people looking for a bargain, and I had a few slimeballs come by. I have a feeling that different markets do differently with FSBO. Agents generally won't take their clients to these houses, people without agents are leary of them, and people who already have a buyers agents won't come.

There is never a time you can't fire your listing agent. They work for you. The issue is the listing contract. Usually it's for a period of time with the agency, not the agent. So, you may be able to fire the agent, but have to still use the agency. Try to get the shortest contract you can (3 months or so) so if they suck, you aren't stuck for too long. I'd say to never list your house with a small agency, since you end up with the same idiots even if you fire the first one.

If your listing agent is also your buyers agent, make sure they take less commission. Personally, I don't mind them being the same person since it cuts out someone to deal with. Generally, you can fire your buyers agent.. but still have to take someone in the agency. One thing I hate about buyers agents is that they want commission even if they don't find you the house. You can tell them you want the contract ammended so that if you find it yourself, they don't get anything (for example, you go to an open house, or model home, or FSBO which they didn't take you to.. why should you pay them?).

I'm still considering getting my license. I figure I know enough about what makes these people suck, that I could be a good one and treat clients like people, not a percentage of a sale.

Real estate agent (Re/max, Remax) that showed me the property I liked and made an offer on did not tell me that the property was situated right next to a superfund (contaminated) site. More: after I asked him whether there are any superfund sites nearby he wrote there are none. And there was, I found that out later after purchasing the property. Welcome boys and girls to comment on this.

All realtor suck, but you cant blame them...after all the brokers teach them to be the scum they are.

For example, they tell you that they will use an open house to help sell your home.

In reality they are USING your home to "hook" a buyer for ANY house, yours or anyone elses. They really could careless whos house they buy, just so long as they get a commission.

I was an agent for a short time, didnt even finish my first transaction and walked. I could not believe the twisted and deceptive methods they would teach us to use.

Then I was looking at an apartment and the stinking agent actually used and "urgency" story given as an example in one of "training" classes.

What a doof.

I told him I had been an agent and I remembered that example, that he should at least make up something new.

The fact is that home owners DONT NEED agents to sell there home, and I promise you when I buy another house, I will REFUSE to work with any realtor at all.

For a few hundred bucks you can get your home on the MLS and the rest is simply mailing postcards. And newspaper ads and so on.

Please, do the FSBO thing, just learn first what it takes then do it yourselfe.

Shit, you are going to do most the work anyways. Then pay some lazy smooth talking agent thousands of dollars for pushing some paperwork.

Save your self the trouble, FIRE every agent, buyer or seller.

I’ve had to work with you bastards on a daily basis for your insipid websites during the last 2 years and loathed every bile-churning minute of it. I’ve never met more stressed out and ignorant people in my life!!! I'd say you guys could give air traffic controllers a run for their money but that would be an insult to air traffic controllers! Fortunately, I have a life outside all this where I can leave the Realtors behind and deal with real people again. I have this to say.
Fuck you, you miserable, stupid, screwed up, uptight, joyless, mongoloid, Real Estate twits!! Is it possible for you to actually read or listen to anything given you by clients or colleagues so you may actually learn something to help your business, or have your television addled, comatose minds simply squeezed out any potential for new information to be introduced?!? You're all so terrified of technology and refuse to use it to it's fullest extent that any failure you experience will be justly deserved. You're a candlemaker in the age of the electric light! While you enjoy the monetary benefit of your chosen profession, keep in mind how very brief it will be. Once your market totally collapses and you’re left contemplating how to best end your existence after completely alienating everyone who once had respect for you. How about instead of continually bothering the poor individuals who have to endure your inane bullshit on a daily basis, you do us all a favor and drown yourself in the foundation cement for one of the homes you sell. You are a worthless waste of air and have no place in this world. Once all your clients wise up and realize they can handle every aspect of home sales on their own, your existence will have been for nothing. Your only contribution, keeping the ditch diggers employed. Never forget the “little people” who make it possible for you to get 6% commission on a 2,000,000$ home. That although we may assist you. We may answer your questions. We may even pretend to care. We all hate you! We wish you nothing more than unhappiness, despair, and eventual suicide, due to your failure to behave as a decent human being!!!
Pray we never meet on the street. I’ve got a storehouse of hate to unload on you!