Let’s explore the Buyers are liars belief and the possible reasons for this.

One of the first questions a Realtor® may ask you is whether or not you are working with another agent.

I can guarantee this one question and the answer that ensues can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings.

The buyer may be thinking, why is this person asking me this question? All I want to know is the price of his listing.

The fact is, a responsible Realtor® SHOULD ask this question.

Realtors® abide by a Code of Ethics and that code prohibits us from “stealing” another’s customer. The question is an attempt at knowing the status of the Buyer. Is the Buyer working with someone else? If so, the Realtor® needs to act accordingly. If not, the Realtor® is free to attempt to establish a relationship. In either case, the Realtor® should be courteous and answer any questions you might have on a property. Some may even be willing to open the door to their Gainesville real estate listings if your agent is out of town or unavailable.

The Buyer, on the other hand, may be defensive, unsure as to the real reason behind the question, fearful of getting pressured by the Realtor® and having to answer a bunch of questions.

Am I working with another Realtor®?

Let’s see, I called three listing agents off their yard signs, met with one who opened the door to her listing, called on an ad in a Gainesville real estate magazine, and, oh yeah,  my brother-in-law is a Realtor® and we frequently discuss Gainesville real estate . Does any of this count?

The answer is…uh, maybe, maybe not.

What is your intention with those agents you met? If you want your brother-in-law to represent you, then you should be upfront with the Realtor®. Otherwise, this writer believes you are perfectly correct to answer NO.

Then comes a time the “new” Realtor® wants to show you a property….and you say, gee, I already saw this property. The listing agent let me in to see it.

Ding Ding Ding…Danger Danger Will Robinson!

The Realtor® now becomes suspicious. I thought you said you were not working with a agent!!

Do you see how easily we can be misunderstood?

It’s all about communication….and a little trust in the mix wouldn’t hurt either. If you and your Realtor® are holding back cards, suspicious of one another, you had better start the process all over again. You should be a team with one common goal – to find you the best property to suit your needs and budget.

Unless you are in the Gainesville real estate business or real estate business in general, you probably do not know all of the ins and the outs of the profession. While it is true that many of you have bought and sold homes and may have done so very successfully, sorry, this does not make you an expert.

I sold a piece of Gainesville real estate 7 years ago – full price offer after only one day on the market – and I was a custom picture framer! Easy, right? This does not necessarily mean I knew what I was doing. The fact is, I had no idea what I was doing and I am fortunate there were no negative consequences as a result of the transaction. Of course, I was extremely fortunate and although I’d like to think it was my keen business sense and marketing skills, the fact is that it was a Seller’s Market and you couldn’t keep Buyers away.

I have heard Realtors® say that their Buyers should have known better or intentionally misled them. The assumption that Buyers understand everything there is to know about Gainesville real estate is absurd. Not only is it absurd but it devalues us as professionals.

Hello…is anyone getting this? If the average Joe Buyer knows it all, why the heck does he need us???

And if he doesn’t know it all, then why do so many Realtors have this expectation?

No, the average Joe does NOT know everything, hence the need for a real estate professional. Instead of being angry with the behavior of his or her customer, the Realtor® needs to keep in mind that many people simply are unaware of many of the basics in real estate.

It is our duty to educate them!!

When we don’t educate our customers we create misunderstandings with problems lurking just around the corner.

Gainesville Real Estate, Spirituality and The Golden Rule (part three), will address some of those basics that all Buyers should be aware of, basics that some Realtors® simply expect their customers to know.