How do you know when it's time to get a new Realtor?

Question:   “We are in the process of buying a house. I chose an agent that I thought I would feel comfortable with even though we have a friend who is a realtor. The agent showed us 5 houses, none were really right for us. Online, we found a house that we really want to see. Our agent said that it will most likely be sold for a higher than the listing price, which is already at the tip of our price range. We want to see the house anyway. The agent kept saying things like “I called and they have multiple offers” but she never said whether or not we can still see this house and make an offer. We finally asked our agent friend to get us in today. The house still being shown and seller is still accepting offers. Should we leave our agent?”

Answer:   Working with an agent you feel comfortable with is very important. On the other hand, maybe your current agent is trying to prevent you from getting hurt by going through a bidding war, possibly over spending compared to what you already stated was your maximum. Remember that a great agent is there to keep you sane, on target and on budget – did you have a consultation with your agent when you first started the buying process?

While I often find I need to help buyers tweek some of the items we initially discussed, I also find that one of the most important roles I play is to keep buyers from working against themselves in the heat of a bidding war, especially when we’ve had that initial conversation before the heat of multiple offer ‘bidding war.’

I’d say, talk to each other! Simply ask your agent why she thinks this house is a mistake. You, the buyer, are in charge of picking and choosing, and are the decision maker on whether or not you should place an offer. I  encourage you to have an open discussion with the agent to be sure you are working together to achieve your goals – you need to be a team! Open a good dialog to determine if she is working for you or if you should part ways and find another agent.

By the way,  the same thing applies to sellers – can’t seem to get your house sold? I’d hope there was dialogue not only at the start of the process, but even more importantly, as feedback from buyers comes in.

Frankly, some agents can’t bring themselves to tell you that there is pushback in the price, or that you need to get rid of the dog smell or hire a handyman. The most important factor to the teamwork required to get your home sold and meeting your goals is good, open discussion.