How to Deal With Pushy Real Estate Agents

A real estate agent is your representative in the home buying or home selling transaction. She is your confidant and your protector. She should be a font of knowledge and a good teacher. Most of all she should deal with all parties in a negotiation with tact, diplomacy and patience. If you are feeling walked on, pressured and not heard in your dealings with a real estate agent, the agent is pushy. This type of real estate agent, whether it is someone you hired or someone who wants you to hire her, needs to be dealt with politely but firmly.

Put your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry by signing up at donotcall.gov. This will stop not only pushy real estate telemarketers from calling you but other telemarketers as well.

Tell agents who call you about your for-sale-by-owner property that you are not interested in listing with them and that you have an agent on standby should you change your mind.

Dissuade the agent from pushing you into accepting an offer on your home before you are ready. Agents don’t make money until an escrow closes and, since there is little earnings difference between a low offer and a full price offer, an agent may try to pressure you into accepting just so he can get paid. Explain to the agent that you need time and that you don’t want to feel pressured, and you will have a decision for him before the offer expires.

Tell the agent who is trying to push you into writing an offer on a particular home that you will not be pressured and that you are fully prepared to walk away from this home if she doesn’t allow you to make a relaxed, informed decision. Never sign a real estate contract until you understand the terms and feel comfortable with them.

Inform a pushy agent at an open house or new home community that you already have representation. Agents that belong to the National Association of Realtors are ethically bound to back off when they think you have representation.

Warn the agent that if she doesn’t back off you will hire another agent. You have the right to work with whom you choose when buying and selling real estate.

Fire the agent. If you are in a contract this may be more difficult to do. First, speak with the agent’s broker and ask to be released from the contract. If that doesn’t work, ask if you can work with another agent in the office. The contract you signed belongs to the broker, not the individual agent. Finally, if all else fails, contact an attorney to go over your contract to look for ways to get out of it.