How many brokers should we be using?

Misha don't look:

I think you should use more than one. Some work harder than others and you'll be selling yourself short by being 'faithful.' JMHO.

I feel the same way but you have to do what you feel is right. If the person was working their tail off for you, it would be one thing, but you need to look out for yourself when you're buying a house. Good luck!

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Posted by matron

Misha don't look:

I think you should use more than one. Some work harder than others and you'll be selling yourself short by being 'faithful.' JMHO.

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Very funny! Actually, I would have suggested something similar! No one should stay faithful to someone who they truly don't feel is working their tail off for them. The only time I would get upset if someone goes to someone else would be if I could truly say to myself I worked my *** off for someone, spent many nights out showing houses, stopped everything I was doing to show this person houses when they wanted to see it, and then only to have that person call someone else about a house wanted to see, and didn't even try to call me! The agent/customer relationship should be a mutual one, the customer should feel they are getting top notch service and not want to work with others but the agent should feel they are delivering top notch service and be able to expect a little loyalty!.

However, your suggestion to use multiple agents might not be so great either because think about it, if an agent knows you are working with just any agent, why should they spend their valuable time helping you and telling you about great houses when they first come up. You may be selling yourself short by not using one agent. Here is an example: A great house comes on the market (which most agents know about a few days before the public). All the agents are going to call their loyal customers immediately to tell them about it right away. They get in to see it first and then, 2 or 3 days later it pops up on realtor.com and 4 or 5 days later it is in Newsday. So all the non-loyal customers really are the last to hear about this great new house and therefore don't get the edge. Think about it, how many times have you called on an ad in the paper only to find out that house is no longer available!

We called our agent Wed. to see some places we saw on the Multiple Listing website....she rarely brings places to our attentionm, and she told us she would show us Sat. but will get back to us a with a time. We hadn't heard from her so yesterday we called and emailed but still no word...now it's Sat. morning and she still hasn't gotten back to us. We are mad, but we have an appt. at 11:30 with someone else.

Also, we wanted to bid on a place but we wanted to bid about 10% less than asking...that is what we and my FIL thought was fair. She wouldnt put in the bid, she said the people won't accept it....we have heard this is unethical.

At first this broker was great, and we are sad it didnt work out...we still can't figure out why though....we feel like we were dumped!

Chloe,
That is unbelievable!!! If you wanted to place a bid your agent absolutely should have put it in no matter what your price. And if she wouldn't put it in, you should definitely have called another agent. It doesn't sound like she is truly trying to help you and I would definitely look for another agent. Your best bet is to talk to other people and get a referral to someone. Here is the copy of an article off the web that might be of use to you, it's a little long, sorry:

Why Search for a Realtor, Anyway?

Finding Your Realtor by 'Accident'

When someone decides it is time to sell their home, they interview several Realtors from different companies to determine which one is best for them. They want someone who will represent them and someone they feel will do an effective job at marketing their home. However, when someone decides to buy a home, they usually end up with their Realtor through sheer accident.

Why don’t homebuyers search for a Realtor the same way that homesellers do?

Instead, homebuyers usually end up with a Realtor as a result of answering an advertisement. The advertisement will give a brief summary of a home available for sale along with the price, but it says nothing at all about the Realtor.

Why Search for a Realtor, Anyway? page three
Using Your Own Realtor

Actually, the best thing for you to do when you see an advertisement in the paper is to call your own Realtor and tell them about the ad. Since addresses usually do not appear in advertisements, your Realtor will call the listing agent and find out the MLS number for the property. If the listing is on the internet, it probably already provides the MLS number.

The house may turn out to be a great home for you, but it may also be a property the Realtor has already disregarded because it backed up to a busy noisy street and you have told your Realtor you wanted a quiet neighborhood.

First you have to have a Realtor you can call. How do you find one?

Referrals are always a good way to go. Perhaps a friend, co-worker, or family member recently bought a house in the same community and had a good experience. However, if they bought a house twenty miles from where you want to move, it may not be a good idea to use the same Realtor.

You want an agent who knows the area in detail and has already previewed many of the homes available for sale in that community. Community knowledge should be important to you because you are not just buying a house. You are buying a home in a local neighborhood in a specific community.

Every Realtor can show you every property available for sale in the Multiple Listing Service. Since that is true, you can call any real estate office and find a Realtor willing to show you houses for sale. The problem is that you do not know if you are talking to an excellent Realtor or a lazy inactive one.

Why Search for a Realtor, Anyway? continued
Shopping for an Agent

Your first step should be to shop for a Realtor, not to shop for property. Shop for a Realtor the way you would shop for a good attorney, accountant, mechanic, plumber, doctor, financial advisor, or other professional.

Now that we have the Internet, you have more information at your fingertips than buyers from the past. The web is a good place to start. There are lots of directories that list agents, plus search engines, too. Peruse the sites. If an agent has lots of information on their site and seems genuinely concerned about informing homebuyers, that's probably a better choice than someone whose web site only talks about how good they are.

The client should be the focus, not the agent. At the same time, agents have to market themselves -- or else you won't notice them.

If Automobiles were Houses

Imagine that automobiles are sold like real estate, with no more car lots or dealerships. Both new and used cars are just parked on the street. So if you want a Ford, there are no more Ford dealerships. No more Lexus dealerships or any other kind of dealerships, either. If you want to look for a car on your own, you just drive around and see what you can find. Even then, you can only look at the outside, because you don't have the keys.

There are some people that have the keys. They also have a computer that tells them where all the cars are parked, what model and year they are, what size engine they have, and how many miles are on the odometer. They get paid a commission for selling the cars.

Some of these commissioned agents just sit around and look at the computer, waiting for the phone to ring. Some of them go out and locate the new cars, physically inspect the interior and exterior, and flip on the ignition to listen to the sound of the engine. They are interested in finding the best cars so their customers refer future clients to them.

Who would you rather call?

Why Search for a Realtor, Anyway? page four

How to Conduct the Search for a Good Realtor

One way to find candidates to interview is to talk to professionals from real estate related professions and ask their opinion. If you know someone who is employed as an escrow officer, title representative, homeowners insurance salesman, or loan officer, they will be able to recommend Realtors from the area they work in.

If you talk to a loan officer, be sure it is someone who deals primarily with purchase money first trust deeds and mortgages instead of refinances, second trust deeds, or finance companies. Since the latter do not deal with Realtors on a regular basis, they will not know who to recommend.

You could just make phone calls to real estate offices and ask questions. Ask the manager to recommend someone or ask a Realtor who he/she would recommend from another office. This will be a little tricky because the Realtor you ask will be 'giving away' a commission, but you will find out who they respect as a competitor.

A new alternative to finding a Realtor is the internet. Look for Realtors who advertise themselves, not property. That way you have a pretty good idea you are getting a 'buyer’s' agent instead of a listing agent. Look to see if their web page offers something to you in the way of information or other services instead of just telling you they are 'number one.' You want someone of value to represent you, not someone who is full of 'puff.'

Interviewing a Good Realtor

When you interview Realtors for the job, you want someone who will be concerned about you and will take care of your interests. You want someone who demonstrates ready knowledge of homes available for sale and does not have to call you back after they 'check on the computer.' This ready knowledge demonstrates they have actually been out previewing homes and don’t just sit around waiting for the phone to ring.

You also want someone sharp enough to ask you questions as well, including your financial and debt information. By asking these questions, a good Realtor will be able to determine the proper price range you should be looking in. By asking about your family, an agent will be able to tell if what you need in a home is something available in your price range. You want a Realtor who is bold enough to talk straight with you instead of always telling you what you want to hear.

When a Realtor Asks to Meet With You

Finally, any decent agent will always ask for an appointment to meet with you, too. It is only natural, since they earn their living by commissions. However, Realtors are also supposed to act as your agent, looking out for your interests before their own. You want a Realtor who takes that responsibility very seriously. If someone seems too much like simply a salesman, then maybe you should look a little further.

Thanks so much for the article. We met with another broker and saw a few more places. We are going to have to do a little more research b/c this lady today drove me crazy...she was incredibly ditsy and didn't know the answers to simple questions.

Thanks again for the help!