I attended a San Diego real estate luncheon today and was handed a booklet with identical questions posed to agents along with their printed answers. The questions were solid and most of the answers made sense. But I nearly choked on a piece of broccoli when I read this statement from a well-known agent in our area:
œBuyers are still and always will be liars. Dont talk about all the details of our business with people.
In our real estate practice, we work with a number of buyers (which our sellers appreciate) and are dismayed that any real estate professional could make such a statement. With very few exceptions, our buyers are terrific. Most are candid and open and we do everything possible to honor and live up to such levels of trust.
And we are not alone. Most agents we know respect their buyers and work very hard to represent their best interests. But the old œbuyers are liars is a tired rhyme that still makes the rounds and I am inclined to think that you get what you expect. And if you expect the world to betray you, it will.
Most bothersome, though, is the admonishment to not œtalk about all the details of our business with people. I beg to differ, because the details of our business are usually the business of our clients. They want and deserve to know what is going on with their transaction, what to expect, and anything else that strikes their fancy.
Somehow, I wish those statements and others like it could be torn from the pages of every sales playbook.
That’s funny & interesting. Always pictured the sellers as the liars.
Allison: Real estate sellers in most states bear a huge burden of disclosure. They must reveal to buyers any known defects, insurance claims, and a long list of other issues that could affect the property. Additionally, we work with buyers to make sure the necessary and professional inspections are completed.
Perhaps we are gifted, but dishonesty very rarely rears its head in our transactions.
Nice site you have, by the way!
When I entered the business I heard the saying, “Buyers are liars and seller are worse.” I think it was more just to make light of the situations when we have people buy without us or we don’t get a listing or something.
Often times an agent will be upset because they showed someone a few homes and that buyer then buys a home using a different agent. Sometimes the buyer wasn’t educated about how agents are paid or maybe they just didn’t feel the loyalty to that agent that they want.
But loyalty has to be earned, and we can’t win them all.
Greg: I would wager those accusations are more relevant to the mortgage lending field–especially with the stated income products. What have we heard them called? Liar’s Loans, I think.
You are so right about loyalty being earned, though.
Buyers are Liars = I suck at getting my buyers to a good mortgage person and getting them signed up with buyers rep.