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The personal stories of one Realtor’s battles and triumphs in the highly-competitive Bay Area Real Estate Market, seeking to illuminate and humanize the very real ups-and-downs of homeownership.
When it comes to real estate, it pays to trust real people.
“I saw your listing on line, and my wife and I are interested in speaking with you about it. Can you jump on a quick Zoom call?” (Link enclosed.)
There was a time, in the not too distant past, when such an inquiry would have sounded legit. It’s not.
Turns out, these “interested parties” are nothing more than trolls hoping you’ll click on the link and invite malware onto your computer. (Seriously? I hate these guys.)
As it pertains to “unidentified callers,” Agents are trained to respond within minutes, so we’re easy prey, but when push comes to shove, these parties aren’t interested in real conversations, they’re seeking to infiltrate our personal data. As a result, I no longer answer calls that don’t identify upfront. If it’s truly important, the caller will leave a message, because nine times out of ten, these are nothing more than phishing. (Please stop already.)
Unfortunately, the advent of AI has increased the number of such incidences, forcing us to be both more vigilant, and highly suspicious. But it’s not just Realtors® running into issues around scammers, it’s title companies, and banks as well. Sadly, we can neither trust nor believe what we see or hear, and that’s a real problem.
Unlike your medical records, housing records are easily accessible, and clearly, they’re being accessed for nefarious purposes. While we do everything we can to implore our clients to confirm wiring instructions before sending money, the speed and transparency of many transactions, coupled with the human habit to immediately react, means that mistakes are going to be made, and when they are, they can be incredibly costly. And while technology has undoubtedly changed our profession, it’s also added layers of unintended complications and consequences. We’ve entered a field of hidden land mines. (I blame the trolls.)
Fortunately, most legitimate Buyers are represented by Agents, and if they’re not, they should be.
Frankly speaking, we’re your firewall and our main goal is to protect your interests throughout a complicated and most likely, expensive negotiation. Moreover, a good Agent is going to help you through the disclosures, outline any concerns, identify red flags, provide analysis, connect you with experts, advocate on your behalf, and calm your nerves in what has become a costly and increasingly turbulent transaction.
When you enlist the help of an Agent, you’ll be asked to sign a “Buyer/Broker Agreement.” This is now a requirement of the DOJ so please understand, we can’t meet you, or show you anything without such an agreement in place. This agreement typically runs 90 days and must then be extended if you wish to continue working together beyond the three-month mark. The agreement protects you and it protects our work product, but it also stipulates a commission to the Agent. While it outlines a percentage (usually 2.5-3.0%) to be paid by the Buyer, 99% of the time, the offer will stipulate that the SELLER pay our fee.
So if you are legitimately interested in purchasing a home, you’re first order of business is to secure funding, and then you should immediately align with a Realtor® you trust; one who understands the territory, has loads of experience, knows the inside track, and can knowledgeably guide you through the rocky road of real estate — trolls be damned. (You deserve nothing less.)
How can we help you?
Julie Gardner & Sarah Abel | Compass Realty
Not just Realtors, but consultants in all things house and home, we’re here to educate, explore, examine and refer . . . In short, you may count on us to take care of your home as if it were our own and anyone who knows us, knows we take pretty darn good care of our homes.
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