As a Realtor, often I find myself in the position to go the extra mile for my clients and it is my personal philosophy that any time the opportunity arises to do so, I take it! Sometimes this can mean helping with simple tasks, like booking an inspection or rushing a timeline for the client. Other times it can mean getting creative in a situation that otherwise may not have turned out so favorably.

More recently I was working with a retired couple who were interested in downsizing. So for the first time in a lot of years, they are back in the real estate market. We viewed many homes over the course of a month, and finally we found the perfect home for them. With the ideal home in mind, I knew it was time to write the offer. That’s when it hit me, instead of just writing the offer and emailing it to the seller’s agent, what if we did something a little different.

As I always do, I encouraged my buyers to become as much a part of the process as they can. They decided to do so by hand writing a letter to the sellers. The letter was comprised of a big thank you for letting us view their beautiful home, and additionally described how my clients can picture their future life in this house. Of course, It didn’t seem like much at that moment and didn’t take much effort, but it made all the difference. It set the tone for the course of the negotiations to that of mutual respect for both sides, and both sides became emotionally attached to making the sale happen. It seems that in the end, the seller wants someone to buy their home that loves it as much as they did when they chose to make it their own, as well as the obvious, making some money off the investment.

The process of negotiating an offer can sometimes be long and frustrating along the way. However, when both sides have a mutual respect for the process and both have an interest in making the sale happen, things can go much more smoothly. Such as in this case, where we made a small effort (writing to the seller) that set the tone of the sale to one of success for all involved. By starting the process on a positive note, the sale was a lot simpler and definitely more pleasant!

If your looking for someone who can really think outside the box, and who always goes the extra mile, you needn’t look any further. Call me today to find out how my approach to real estate is miles ahead of the market!

When you hire a Realtor whether Buying or Selling, that agent is working for you under what is called a designated agency.

What is a designated agency?

In a designated agency, the brokerage and its clients agree that one or more licensees engaged by the brokerage will be designated to act as sole agents on behalf of each client. In this agency model, it is the designated agents who have the primary duties of undivided loyalty, obedience, and confidentiality to their client.

When working with a designated agency occasionally in unique circumstances some questions may arise such as:

What happens if you contact the listing agent who is selling a home you are interested in and ask the agent to represent you in making an offer on that home?

What if the Realtor has two Buyers that want the same house?

Can the same agent represent both sides?

The answer: Yes they can, with written permission from both parties, an agent can represent both sides of the transaction. This is what is referred to as limited dual agency.

In a limited dual agency, the designated agent represents both the buyer and seller in the same transaction or two buyers competing for the same property. In this arrangement, the REALTOR® cannot be concerned exclusively with your interests in the transaction, since they are acting on behalf of the other party as well.  When a REALTOR® has given consent to work as a limited dual agent, he/she must adhere to the following restrictions:

1. The REALTOR® is required to handle both parties with impartiality
2. The REALTOR® must disclose to the buyer any defects about the physical condition of the property that are known
3. Have a duty of disclosure to both clients, except that:

The REALTOR® must not disclose price, terms or motivation or personal information to the other client.

This can complicate things and requires a delicate balance on behalf of the representing agent. In the past when faced with this kind of situation, I always disclose upfront to the seller, before committing to the buyer, and am confident that all parties agree on the scenario before moving forward. Often when I approach these situations the seller is on board initially, however usually after a conversation regarding what is in their best interest, that changes.

After much consideration on the issue, I have decided that going forward I will no longer offer dual agency to my clients. It is my opinion that this creates more loyalty to the initial client, by not representing more than one interest at a time. I prefer to make sure my clients get the best outcome in their particular circumstances, on each and every deal. I will not be surprised if in the future dual agency agreements are no longer an option.

If you have any questions or would like more information on these types of agreements, feel free to get in touch any time!