Unscrupulous Real Estate Tactics And How To Recognize Them

Be Sure Your Broker Has Integrity 

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions you can make. Along with it, and crucial to the process, is finding a trustworthy real estate agent who has your best interests at heart. While most agents do act ethically, it is helpful to have some specific qualities to look for.

• Genuine marketing tactics - Listing agents are required to market homes accurately and are required to disclose known defects. Your agent should advise you to disclose material issues and use clear marketing tactics, and prioritize your interests over theirs

• Respect for your process – Great agents always leave you room to take your time in making an informed decision about whether listing with them is right for you, and will not promise you a deal, contact you relentlessly, or push you to sell

• Welcoming all buyers – A good agent will welcome all prospective buyers, theirs and otherwise, in an effort to find the most attractive terms for you by marketing your property and maximizing the amount of interested parties to drive value through competition

• Focused on your bottom line - Agents with integrity always put your interests first, ahead of their own, when marketing your property to the widest selection of the buying community possible, or showing you the broadest set of listings that meet your criteria

• Dual agency - While Dual Agency is technically legal in New York State, it requires disclosure, and quality agents will advise you clearly as to who they are truly representing

• Making promises that they can keep – Exceptional agents will promise and deliver expert and professional presentation, maximum and comprehensive exposure, and strategic pricing to “clear the market” and maximize price, and never promise a specific price can be obtained for any property given the market is the ultimate determinant of value