Q. I don’t like my Realtor®, can I change them?
A. This is a very tricky area, and has different implications depending on whether you’re buying or selling. Either way, if you have a problem with your Realtor®, tell their broker before you take any other action.
Selling
You have contracted the services of a Realtor® for a fixed amount of time. If you choose to break the contract, the brokerage responsible for marketing your home may be entitled to some compensation for their work. If someone visits your home as a potential buyer while they are listing your home, and that person buys your home after you cancel your contract with the brokerage, you may still have to pay a commission to them.
Buying
Imagine you have contracted the services of a Realtor® and they take you to a view a home which you love. You then terminate your contract with the Realtor® and return to the house with a different Realtor® and put in an offer for the property. If the sale closes, the new Realtor® will most likely be paid the commission due for bringing the buyer. However, the original Realtor® may also have a legal claim to the commission as a “procuring cause”. In short, as a buyer you may have to pay your original Realtor’s commission out of your own pocket.
Shorter still: Think hard before you agree to have that Realtor® work on your behalf or before you decide to terminate your contract with them.
