Buying and selling real estate is a complex process that should be entered with the help of a professional. AREALTOR®can tell you important details about the homes you’re considering, help you navigate the negotiation process, and help protectyour financial interests. But if you’re not confident your confidant is accomplishing those tasks—or if you’re just not communicating well with each other—it might be time to change real estate agents. It happens.
Here are four tipsto tactfully part ways with youragent.
1. Assess the relationship
When you agree to work with an agent to buy a home, it’s reasonable to expect aREALTOR® to streamline the shopping and purchasing process.
If you don’t trust your agent’s recommendations—or if your agent doesn’t make time for you, doesn’t respond to your phone calls or emails, or doesn’t seem willing to work with you or show you houses—then those are signs the relationship has gone sour.
In real estate, time is of the essence. If you can’t reach your agent when you want to make an offer, see a property or get a status update, then it might be a sign that you’re working with the wrong agent.
2. Say goodbye in writing
Once you’ve decided to dissolve the partnership, nicely inform your agent you no longer want to do business together—and be sure to do it in writing.
(Unless you signed a buyer/broker agreement with aREALTOR®, you are not legally required to stick with the agent.)
There’s no need to go into a lot of detail about why you’re not happy, especially if it’s just a personality clash. Just be honest and upfront when you want to end things, so the agent doesn’t continue to search for houses for you.
However, written notification with the date you are terminating the relationship will help protect you from paying unnecessary commission should a dispute arise after you’ve moved on.
3. Beware of contracts and clauses
If you signed a buyer/broker contract for representation, ensure you have signed documentation canceling the relationship.
In some states, a real estate agent may be entitled to a commission if there is procuring cause:“the uninterrupted series of causal events that leads to a successful transaction”, or the like.
If you make an offer with another agent on a property your terminated agent brought to your attention, the first agent could be entitled to the commission on that transaction if there is procuring cause.
If you decide to work with a new REALTOR®, just be forthcoming about how much work your previous agent didfor you.
4. When you change real estate agents, be professional
As with home buying, you may not find the “right” agent in your first attempt.
It’s okayto acknowledge the person isn’t accommodating your needs—but always be courteous. Your agent might be able to recommend someone else with whom you click.Remember, top-notch agentsshould have your best interests in mind throughout the home-buying process.
So even if you’re not in sync, a good real estate professional should recognize when you’ll be better served by calling the relationship to an end.
