Don’t Trust Your Realtor Blindly

When it is time to purchase a house, many people would you to find a good realtor. I agree that a realtor is indeed very important. They know a lot that others do not know. Especially when it is time to look houses around. Realtors can get passcodes to open properties and bring their clients to view conveniently. Still, I want to remind you that you should not trust your realtor blindly.

If one is lucky, the realtor he/she finds may be really professional and responsible. The realtor will warn you about every potential pitfall of a property you are interested, and sometimes will even find related information to present to you. In such case, one does not need to worry about anything. The realtor definitely deserves the trust. Unfortunately, not all realtors are that way.

Photo by  Daryn Bartlett

When I purchased my condominium, I used a realtor recommended by a friend. I trusted my friend, so I extended my trust to the realtor he recommended. The realtor’s name was Nick. Nick was easy to talk to and seemed a nice person. But it was not easy to find a house that met my requirements due to the tight housing market at the time. We made offers to two or three houses and all rejected. By this time we have viewed about eight houses.  I began to think I might need to wait longer.

Then suddenly Nick told me that there was a house available, and it had not been listed on the market yet. That meant I could complete the transaction without competing with others if I wanted it. Coincidently my realtor was also the sellers’ realtor. From a realtor’s perspective, this much be a perfect thing. He wanted to sell someone’s house, and he had a buyer right there. To me, the house looked very close to what I was looking for. So I decided to get it.

The only problem was, my realtor never investigated the HOA account strength of the property. He never mentioned it. Since I was a total newbie, and I trusted Nick so much, this issue never come to my mind either. Then, six months after I moved into my house, I received a bill about the special assessment (see my post Buying a Condominium? Think Again!).

I will definitely not hire Nick as my realtor anymore. Maybe he did really well with my friend and even many others, I just do not think he gave me the advice I needed.

Should you still hire a realtor to buy or sell houses? Mostly you should. Mainly because they are (supposed to be) experts in that. My advice is, hire one but do not trust them blindly. Even if the realtor you hire is recommended by your family or friends. It is still up to you to find as much information as possible. To ask your friends and family before making the final decision.