About Realtors Who Do Not Return Phone Calls

Realtors who do not return phone calls are like a bad apple. About two weeks ago, we received a call from a buyer who had found us online. She was looking for agents who specialize in short sales. She had been trying to obtain information about a condo listed for sale in Rancho Cordova; it was a short sale. This property is listed by an agent from out of the area, by an e-brokerage.

I have been calling, texting and emailing the agent for information for two weeks. These efforts were made to help this poor frustrated buyer as the agent would not even call her back. My phone log shows repeated calls, texts and emails made to this listing agent. To date, no communication from the listing agent. This behavior reflects poorly on Realtor and often is the cause of buyers not having the utmost respect for our profession.

The property is listed as a short sale. The MLS states there were three offers made originally, before the property went pending sale. The commission offered to the buyer’s agent is below the standard buyer’s commission rate. There is not a fixed rate for buyer’s agent commission, but there is a trend you see in MLS. On top of that, lenders mostly approve full commissions, so there is little need to short-change anybody.

I was happy to help facilitate contact information for this very frustrated buyer. She took the time to find us based on a book, the “Short Sale Savior,” written by Elizabeth Weintraub. Maybe a new title could be about Realtors who do not return phone calls on short sales, just kidding.

There are no real estate police to force this agent to cooperate and treat all parties honestly and practice fair dealings. Not doing these things is a potential ethics violation. However, if an out of area agent is not a member of our board, there is little than can be done. Even then the time to file a complaint with the board and make your way up the process can take months.

My suggestion to this buyer was walk away. If you want to buy Rancho Cordova real estate, let one of our exclusive buyer’s agents help you to find another property. She was very grateful for our efforts to help her.

The motto of this story is if you want to buy Sacramento real estate, hire a local Realtor with 5 star reviews, to help you. Additionally, to have any repercussions the listing broker must be a member of our board, Sacramento Association of Realtors. Complaining about Realtors who do not return phone calls will not solve the immediate problem. Our advice, move on and work only with Realtors who are within our local board.

To have phone calls returned when you need professional representation, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold at 916-233-6759.

— JaCi Wallace