Not protcol to divulge address

Just when you think you've heard it all from Real Estate Agents, something totally new comes up.

I just phoned a real estate office to enquire on a property advertised in the local paper. The office girl could not pass on any information, (fair enough), but took my number and said the selling agent would get back to me with all the info on the property.

Later in the day, I got a call from the agent. I asked how much the property was rented for, and she gave me an appropriate answer.

Next, to assertain whether the ip was in a good area and worth looking at, I asked what is the address. "It is not our policy to answer that question", she answered. Apparently, unless I wished to attend an inspection of the said property with her, in her car, then she would not tell me what the address was.

Has anyone else ever had such a wierd agent before?

Anyway, our town is very small, and it would take me less than half an hour to find the place. Who does she think she is kidding. The great big 'For Sale' sign out the front of the place is a dead giveaway.

I've seen some real estate agent websites where they don't advertise the address, but if click the 'properties' of the .jpg photos of the house it's labelled '24_John_St_Smithville' or something like that

If the property is advertised then I don't see what their problem is.
Unless ofcourse there is something nearby they are trying to hide....
Such a policy would put off most people.
In a small area, I guess its not such a big deal
but in a city, I am not going to drive to an area just to find
out that the house is in the wrong spot or right next to a busy church
or a railway line or that there are no schools in the area etc etc...
It happened to me before too but its not common practice.
cheers

hi Brenda

I had a similair situation..

went into a REA office and asked or a print out of properties under $150k, the lady at the desk said she couldn't do it..it was against the privacy laws, so i asked how..she didn't know but refused to give a list, i pointed out that they have the properties,complete with adresses in thier front windows and asked if they have the propertieson thier web site, she said yes..this stumped me..so i walked into the next REA, across the road and basically got the same thing..


At the 3rd i had no problems, they gave me an agents card to call him if i sawone i was interested in.

PS- your lucky your REA offered to drive you..they dont do that here anymore, you meet them at a property then follow them to the next few..

REDWING

Can save a lot of time if they tell you the address for ALL parties.

Their are a lot of stupid agents around here doing the same thing, really trying hard to give their hot air speel.

There are also a number of untrustworthy buyers who go knock on the sellers doors and ask to inspect without the agent, although they promise never to do that to your face.

There are always two sides to a coin and I have seen it all.

David E-Noosa said:

There are also a number of untrustworthy buyers who go knock on the sellers doors and ask to inspect without the agent.

Click to expand...

David,
How do you determine that the buyer is untrustworthy?
I could say that by doing this you are not acting on the best interest
of the vendor because you are likely to lose a potential buyer.

If a REA doesn't give me the address of a property I wouldn't bother doing business with him.

cheers

I am absolutely acting in the best interests of the seller. I am just telling you the way it is, no sugar candy post here.

I am paid to sell the property for the highest amount in the shortest time, if the buyer is uninterested in viewing it with me then they are not very serious in buying a property. If the buyer wants to check the area out then buy a map and take a drive.

I do not want to sound harsh here as I am not, my job and my salespeoples work is to show the properties, if I hear one giving drive by's then I and my sellers are not happy. Does your place look inviting from the road or do you need to get inside to fully appreciate its benefits. I would in some cases be acting against by sellers interests if I just handed out addresses when I know too well that the best features must be viewed.

One of my guys gave a buyer a address last week after being pushed by the buyer to do so, someone they thought they could trust. That property was open listed (still common here in Qld) and guess what, the buyer bought it on Tuesday this week from another agent who also had it listed. This is not an isolated case I can assure you.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Isn't it about the salesperson staking a claim on some commish because he/she was first to show the person the house?

I rang an agent yesterday about a property just two streets from where we live. He would not tell me any information until I gave him my name and telephone number. I asked why? His reply was "I have very strict instructions from my vendor to take all names and numbers from people who call".. Fair enough so I gave them to him...I then asked him for the owners name stating that I thought it only fair if he has my name I have his - HE HUNG up on me hahaha I laughed for ages it made my day!

Funny really as this agent has no listing on the web site - you can not find him in the white pages. He does not advertise with the other agents under real Estate Central web site. He never advertises in the free local paper, yet he has an office on a main road with no listings apart from this one...Many locals think it is a front for more goings on - I wonder??
House Proud

house proud said:

I rang an agent yesterday about a property just two streets from where we live.
House Proud

Click to expand...

That'd be Stan Barnes, right?

David E-Noosa said:

There are also a number of untrustworthy buyers who go knock on the sellers doors and ask to inspect without the agent, although they promise never to do that to your face.

There are always two sides to a coin and I have seen it all.

Click to expand...

So then you wouldnt put a "For Sale" sign out the front either because then an untrustworthy buyer could stumble down the "secret" street.

If the agent gives me an address that isnt suitable i can immediately remove it as it isnt in my area of interest. Its more about location for me not what the curtains look like.

Ah, I love a thread that strikes a nerve on so many fronts.

Allow me to start ranting and raving while throwing my 2% of a dollar around.

I am currently looking for a development site that needs (ie must, under all circumstances, fit wholly within, or pretty bloody close to council requirements) a certain size, location, slope, etc.

When asking agents, they seem to be very keen to show me inside on places that are 1/5th of the size. I care not about the colour of the bathroom tiles, as the house is going to be demolished! Some rea are pretty thick, and still keep wanting to shove useless (to me) properties, rather than take my details (more than happy to leave) and my SPECIFIC requests needed in a property.

Walked into the local Jenman office, rea was out, requested to see some listings, needing only vague details- general location, size, slope. "We dont do that", she says in a voice that I use to my two year old when he is annoying his little brother. "Why not?" I casually ask. "We dont want to damage the value of the property" the curt reply came.

Now, a couple of thoughts. Is telling a purchaser that they dont want to damage the price, simply another way of saying they want to bleed me as dry as they can? I can understand this comment said to a vendor, but to a purchaser?

Me, in a rea office, asking to see listings. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, what the hell do I want to do? Well I'm not there for the fun of it, or just to waste my time, but am wanting to buy a property, and in the process, enable the rea to get 15 grand of cash (indirectly) off me. So why do they make it hard for me to pay them? I could have checked out all of their offerings a week ago, but currently havent gone back there, but have been through three other rea, whom were more helpful.

My thoughts are not of wanting to circumvent the rea fee, nor to wait for properties to go out of sole agency to drop the vendors price.

My intention is to stop wasting my time, the rea time, and the vendors time.

And please spare me the 'you have got to see it inside, in all of its naked glory
' crap, because the street appeal and kerb appeal can knock it on the head.

Situation- turn up, get shown around by rea. Hate the look of a house, feral inbread hicks surrrounding the dump, and I dont want to enter. 'I promised the vendor we'd go through'. So, I am expected to go through, and waste my, the rea and the vendors time, on a property that has a zero percent chance of being sold to me? I think not.

I think the fairest situation would be that my details are taken, and then, the rea can always sue me for their commish if I sign the contract saying that I was not introduced by any agent.

Am seriously thinking of going back to Jenman and if the rea is not in, and are given the same answer, then say "but how much will it damage the properties price if I am the best buyer, but walk out now, because I will never see it?"

Perhaps Neil could give me an answer on that one!

David E-Noosa said:

I am absolutely acting in the best interests of the seller. I am just telling you the way it is, no sugar candy post here.

I am paid to sell the property for the highest amount in the shortest time, if the buyer is uninterested in viewing it with me then they are not very serious in buying a property.

Click to expand...

David, have you thought that by giving out addresses you are saving yourself time as investors apply their own filtering system?

If all REAs followed your practice, this would stuff up my preferred method of buying property, which is:

1. Decide that a particular area is suitable to invest. Research area's demographics, rent levels, vacancy rates, past sales, etc. Walk around the neighbourhood.

2. Work out a desired price range and rent level that you know is achieveable, but is slightly more favourable than most properties on the market.

3. Scan the local real estate guide, check web and look in REA windows for properties for sale. Also contact local agents just before you arrive.

4. Where properties appear to be priced lower than other similar properties and/or the rental yield appears higher, put these on your shortlist.

5. Have a look at the exterior of the properties. Exclude those in obviously bad streets. As I am not a renovator, cross out the ones that obviously need work and/or are timber or asbestos (if I have a brick-only policy).

6. Then approach the agent and inspect the inside of the rest (which might only be 2 or 3). You might take 30 min or so per property, but that's your right as a prospective purchaser (don't let the agent hurry you up). Fill out your checklist and put in an offer(s) on the best one(s). As an investor, I'm not particularly interested in the interior that much, provided it's in good condition, everything works and offers amenity for tenants. However I'd use this info to assess whether any work is required and determine how much I should offer.

Think of it this way - when a buyer has done all the work beforhand and is asking the agent to inspect only a few places, then they're saving the agent heaps of time. And this gives time-leverage; the agent has more time to show other buyers properties and can thus be more productive.

Surely this is better (from the agent's point of view) than taking clients around to see endless properties, most of which they're not interested in, when they may eventually buy none?

Regards, Peter

too little time for mucking around

I agree. It's much better to do as much work up front as possible before having a long conversation with the agent. By that point in time, if you're seriously talking I know there's going to be a serious offer on the table.

Also, if an agent "promised the vendor he/she should show them through?", why are they making promises they know they can't keep? I'm part of that promise all of a sudden, and I didn't say I would go through. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm.

Jireh

YES!!!!! but he passed away a good few years ago It is his son I believe.....
cant believe you guessed it...
house proud

I think the key here is flexibility. I have regularly inspected houses with my little girl in tow. She used to always fall asleep on the way to my target area. So I would suggest we meet at the house so that a) I didn't have to try and park near their office b) wake my daughter up and have a cranky child on my hands c) they couldn't drive me around anyway because they usually don't have a car seat for little ones.
Most agents were accommodating, and nowadays they all know my habits and just tell me the address to meet me there.

david E-Noosa

I 'am' serious when i go in to buy when i ask for a list of properties in the area up to a certain price, i've walked into the local agencies offices so i can drive around at my own pace and time, look at the exteriors, availibility of shops, buses etc.. see what the street is like, the neighbouring area and the side streets, parks..all without the REA's sales pitch.

When i find 1, 2 or 3 i've narrowed down to the better ones i then ring the agent and we'll go have a look at the interior, i'm happy to listen to the sales pitch then and i'm better informed about the area by this time, i've reviewed my finances worked out my best strategy etc and am more interested in this property

I believe i'm saving my time and theirs with this approach

PS- when attending home opens why do REA's feel the need to take your name and contact number before letting you in? I believe it's for thier mail listing and so they can call you with other properties.not security, as i've never had my drivers licence viewed or vehicle rego taken...if i'm interested, i'll call the REA..

REDWING

Well this has been an interesting topic... its one of those "walk a mile in my shoes" kind of things.

It also depends if we are talking open listings/exclusive listings, previous contact with the buyer, local trends. I would be very pleased if RE in Qld in general would come in line with most states and listings were all exclusive. Then we as agents get to better manage our time with open homes with set inspection times make life easier for all.

Basically I am not here to argue with anyone, I have read enough here over the past months to know how most think and rightly so given this is a investors message board and not an agents message board the general trend is towards the buyer. As you all know the agent has but one employer and thats the seller, hence everything he/she does is slanted towards that end which is what you would expect if you appointed one to sell your home is it not.

Lets say its the problem of a few bad eggs acting as real estate agents that taint the vast majority of good agents. Balanced against a few bad eggs as buyers that also taint the majority of good people trying to purchase property that interfers with the whole transaction.

btw its a beautiful sunny day in Qld

Motivated Buyers?

I guess we'd all love to buy from a motivated seller.

At the same time, if I were selling I'd like to find motivated buyers. While I dont like the idea I can see how it may be one of the tactics an agent might use to sell a property at the right price.

Cheer

TheBacon