Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people will ever make. The real estate market can be complex and frustrating to navigate. While real estate agents strive to provide clients with the best service possible, even seasoned professionals sometimes commit unforgivable sins that negatively impact their clients. Being aware of these 10 sins can help home buyers and sellers protect themselves during the transaction process.
10 Unforgivable Sins Of Real Estate
1. Not Putting the Client's Interests First
A real estate agent's primary responsibility should always be protecting and promoting their client's best interests. Real estate agents who push clients towards decisions for their gain commit an unforgivable sin. Whether upselling properties beyond a buyer's budget to earn a higher commission or downplaying concerns to make a quick sale, agents must keep their client's financial and lifestyle goals as the top priority.
Buyers should be wary of agents who try to sway them towards more expensive listings without good reason. Sellers should be cautious if an agent tries to push them to take a lower offer without negotiation. The best real estate agents have their clients' best interests at heart. They go above and beyond to ensure their clients find properties or sell homes in line with their unique needs and goals.
2. Failing to Disclose Known Property Flaws
Real estate agents are legally required to disclose any known material defects about a property to potential buyers. Intentionally failing to reveal problems like roof leaks, previous flooding, structural damage, or pest infestations is an ethical and legal violation. Most home buyers lack the expertise to identify hidden property flaws on their own. They depend on their agent's honesty about any known defects before making a purchase.
When a serious undisclosed problem comes to light after closing, buyers can face expensive repairs and have little legal recourse against the agent. Sellers also rely on their agents to appropriately represent any issues upfront rather than risk problems down the road. Being transparent about property conditions allows buyers to make fully informed purchase decisions and shows integrity all around.
3. Misrepresenting a Property or Offer Details
Intentionally providing false information about a property or distorting offer terms is unacceptable. Real estate agents should accurately represent all details in listings, buyer negotiations, and other transactions. It’s easy to get tempted to stretch the truth to try to close a deal, but misrepresentations ultimately harm the agent's credibility and expose them to potential lawsuits.
Common misrepresentations include:
- Inflating square footage measurements
- Downplaying downsides of a property like high traffic noise
- Telling a buyer their offer price is too low when it is fair
- Telling a seller there are cash offers when the offers require financing
Rather than make misrepresentations, skilled agents present properties and offers objectively. They allow the merits of the property or offer terms to speak for themselves. Buyers and sellers should verify details themselves and be wary of agents who seem to stretch the truth.
4. Pressuring Clients Into Decisions
Successful real estate transactions require buyers and sellers to make big decisions under tight timelines. However, agents should never apply unwanted pressure to close a sale. High-pressure sales tactics can lead clients to make regrettable financial decisions that don’t align with their goals.
Buyers should be able to thoroughly evaluate properties without feeling rushed. Agents should allow them sufficient time to sleep on an offer before signing. Sellers should feel free to hold out for the right offer without excessive urgency to sell. Skilled agents provide insight to help clients move decisively while ensuring they feel empowered to make the right choices for themselves.
5. Failing to Negotiate Effectively
Top real estate agents are skilled negotiators who leverage their expertise to maximize outcomes for their clients. However, some agents fail to put in the hard work required to negotiate optimally on their client’s behalf.
For buyers, that can mean paying thousands more than necessary for a property. For sellers, it can mean leaving money on the table by accepting a below-market offer. Agents should thoroughly research market comparables and leverage creative negotiating strategies. Buyers and sellers deserve a vigilant advocate who works tirelessly to secure the best possible deal terms.
6. Having Co-Broker Relationships That Create Conflicts of Interest
While co-brokering deals with other agents is standard in real estate, close professional relationships between agents can potentially compromise their loyalty. Their communication and camaraderie may take priority over aggressive representation of their own client’s interests.
Buyers and sellers are best served by an agent who maintains a respectful but impartial position with counterparts rather than forming special alliances. Agents with close ties to listing agents may not push hard enough for buyers on inspection issues or credits. Similarly, sellers’ agents who are friendly with buyers’ agents may not hold the line on sales price firmly enough.
7. Failing to Explain Documents Thoroughly
The home sale process involves signing many complex legal documents like sales contracts and disclosures. Real estate agents have a responsibility to clearly explain these documents to their clients to avoid confusion and liability. Rushing through documents or failing to ensure understanding is unwise.
However, some agents hand over piles of paperwork without sufficient discussion. Clients may feel overwhelmed but reluctant to ask questions. Thorough agents know documentation can be confusing. They take time to have open conversations about the terms and implications to ensure clients protect their legal rights and interests.
8. Disrespecting Client Time
Many real estate transactions progress rapidly once initiated. However, the most successful agents respect their client’s time and availability while keeping deals on track. Agents who fail to be mindful of client schedules or inundate them with communications risk breaking trust.
For instance, repeatedly scheduling property tours that conflict with buyers’ work schedules or contacting sellers excessively demonstrates a disregard for client time. Top agents balance maintaining momentum with flexibility around their clients’ availability. Clear communication and respect for time limitations preserve positive relationships even during high-stress deals.
9. Not Providing Sufficient Guidance and Expertise
Clients hire real estate agents to leverage their experience and intimate local market knowledge. Agents who fail to offer insight into pricing, negotiation strategy, useful contacts, and navigating issues do a disservice to their clients.
For example, buyers deserve guidance on making competitive bids in a bidding war scenario. Sellers should receive coaching on pricing a listing appropriately. Agents should draw on their expertise to help clients make informed decisions instead of expecting them to navigate challenges independently. Delivering on this value-add is what differentiates skilled agents.
10. Prioritizing Commission Over Needs
The most unforgivable real estate sin of all is an agent acting in their interests rather than a client’s needs. While commissions are essential for agents to earn a living, obsession over paydays at the expense of good counsel is unacceptable.
Some agents push buyers to increase budgets just to buy higher-priced listings and earn bigger commissions. Others may discourage sellers from listing a property below market value even if it makes sense for their circumstances. Quality agents keep commission calculations separate from their duty to help clients make financial and lifestyle choices that feel authentic.
