Need Realtor Input

14 years ago

Realtors please give me your thoughts on the following scenario:

Agent 1 is in sales and rentals

Agent 2 is sales

Agent 2 tells Agent 1 about a "client" that is looking to rent his place and possibly sell. Agent 1 mentions that he has worked with Agent 2Âs "clientÂs wife" in the past and is still in touch with her and her sisterÂs who are looking to purchase. Agent 1 contacts the client and confirms that they want to rent and does their seasonal rentals for 3 years. The house has always been just in the wifeÂs name and they since have been divorced. "ClientÂs Wife" contacts Agent 1 to list and sell her house and he takes the listing. It was a long drawn out closing and now Agent 2 feels he is entitled to a commission. Agent 1 feels that Agent 2 should have talked to him when he got the listing and not after it was sold and since Agent 1 had a prior relationship with the wife and it was her house he feels the listing was rightfully his. The ownerÂs of the office want the two agents to work it out. I have my own opinion but am too close to the situation to feel it fair for me to comment.

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

Comments (6)

terezosa / terriks
14 years ago
Agent 1 was chosen by the owner for the listing. Agent 2 has no standing. Does agent 2 think that he desrves a commission from the sale of property of everyone that he happens to know?
berniek
14 years ago
"ClientÂs Wife" contacts Agent 1 to list and sell her house and he takes the listing.."

There is your answer. The client decided who to use and gets paid at closing.
Also, in the absence of a written referral agreement between the agents, there is nothing to be paid to #2.
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graywings123
14 years ago
This sounds like agent 1's version of the story. I wonder how agent 2 would tell the story.
aka_raeanne
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you for the input.

Graywings - I am just the hired office help and tried to put up the facts as both agents have presented them to me. I am actually the one that felt Agent 1 should give Agent 2 a referral fee, but mostly to just keep the peace. However, I am rethinking this position. To me the most important part of this entire thing is that Agent 2 should have voiced his concerns when the listing came in and he was not named as a co-lister.

I was just curious to see how others would see it. We have a small office and try to keep things amicable.

Thanks again!
mariend
14 years ago
If you are just hired office staff,, and have no training in RE, I would suggest the two agents work it out legally. Just tell them you are only the secretary, or whatever you are and do not have the legal authority to make suggestions. Which one is the broker and what does that person say? I know it is hard, but not your job. Been there and done that. I made some suggestions at one of my jobs and almost lost the job and the relationships were never the same.
aka_raeanne
Original Author
14 years ago
mariend - We are a very small office and I have been there forever so we all talk. I had my opinion but didn't share it with either party. Neither of them are Broker's, the Brokers want them to work it out and I think it has been. In all my years there I haven't seen this problem and was just curious how other office's would handle it. The problems usually arise out of who owns a buyer not a seller, but that's another story haha. I could never be an agent - I would go home in tears all the time.

Thanks again for your time.