Selling a House Four Times Means Getting Screamed At

An agent who is selling a house four times is only paid once.

A seller’s partner recently exploded over selling a house four times. It’s not unusual that this can happen in a real estate transaction, especially when the seller’s partner is not involved in the day-to-day particulars of the escrow and, let’s face it, who else is a seller gonna blame? The listing agent is the only other person available. I suppose the seller could blame the escrow officer or title officer, and that would make about as much sense, but no, getting screamed at can come with the territory of being a top producing Sacramento listing agent.

Sooner or later, an agent will encounter a seller who doesn’t realize that when an agent is selling a house four times, it’s not because the listing agent wants to or isn’t doing her job. In fact, many listing agents would bail after the second buyer cancellation. Those agents would figure there is something wrong with the house because having two buyers in a row cancel is pretty peculiar. But it does happen. And sometimes it is the house. Sometimes it is a quirk in the market.

Sellers do not realize that listing agents cannot talk to the buyers in the transaction. The listing agent does not meet the buyer at all. There is no communication between the listing agent and the buyer. Often, the listing agent engages very little with the buyer’s agent as well. Our purchase contracts allow a buyer to cancel for pretty much any reason without penalty within the first couple weeks.

Listing agents cannot predict whether a buyer will cancel. When an agent who wants to write a backup offer asks if I have a solid purchase offer, I have to honestly respond: I do not know. It seems OK, all the correct boxes are checked, the lines are filled in, the preapproval is received, but is the buyer committed? No Realtor alive has the foggiest clue. There is no way to get a clue about it. Buyers often flake out. A buyer’s agent won’t warn anybody.

Although it would be nice if they did. Can you imagine a buyer’s agent submitting an offer and saying: “Hey, my buyer is a squirrel. She has made other offers and canceled. I don’t trust her to close.” No, of course not. They all say “my buyers LOVE your home.” They include dozens of heart emojis with their text. Give me a break.

But when I am selling a house four times and getting paid only once, it means I am committed to the transaction. I am not bailing on the seller. I am loyal. I work on that sale diligently until it closes. When a seller’s partner calls — a person I have never spoken to or had any contact with — to scream that I am the worst real estate agent ever because I sold his house four times and it closed, I don’t know what to say.