I'm sure all of you are aware of the role of realtors. As realtors we need to explain to our prospective clients what are role are as realtors. When showing property or selling homes we are usually working for a buyer or seller. In the case of a seller their is an agreement in place that gives us the exclusive right to sell their home. When working with buyers it is imperative that the role of agency is explained. Buyers have the right to be represented just as much as sellers do. 

I'm not sure where we fall down in this department. I have had some buyers under a buyer agency contract who still insist on calling other realtors. Some of these realtors will ignore the fact that they are already under contract with someone and start working with them. As a realtor, this is un-ethical. Buyer's sometimes don't understand what it means to sign an agency agreement and that's okay. We don't always explain what it is that they are signing. We sometimes just assume that they know.

The other day I had a prospective client call me in regards to see one of my listings. He said that his realtor was going out of town and wouldn't show him the property until she got back a week later. I asked this gentleman if he had signed a contract with this realtor. He said no. This was looking good for me I could have the chance to double end a property. However, there is a thing called "implied agency". This basically means that when a buyer and a realtor have a working relationship and they have been viewing properties together for a time it could be considered an agency relationship if the realtor explained the role of agency but failed to have an agreement signed.

I went on to ask this potential client how long he had been looking for a home. He said that this realtor had showed him quite a few homes and had even help him arrange a mortgage. At this point I suggested that he call his realtor one more time and insist that she show him the home prior to going away. The realtor relented and showed him the property. Late that night they registered an offer on the house they had seen (my listing).

When a realtor doesn't ask you if you have been working with someone and you have for many weeks, try to think about the realtor. Your realtor works very hard to help you realize your dreams and should be compensated for their hard work. When you are un happy with your realtors performance and you have signed a buyer agency agreement you have every right to be released from that agreement. When you get another realtor on the other end of the phone jumping at the chance to work with someone who is already working with another realtor, I suggest you think twice.