David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

We all hear about great customer service when working with our real estate clients.  One part of the great service we often don't talk about is shielding our clients from unnecessary stress or problems that arise when working with other Realtors during a transaction. Our profession is constantly in a state of change, especially when it comes to real estate law and the documents involved, such as contracts and disclosures. Many Realtors get distressed when I tell them that a seller's disclosure is no longer required in Florida, unless the seller is making a negative disclosure about the property.  I have no problem providing a buyer with a seller's disclosure if the listing agent went to the unnecessary trouble of having a seller complete the 5 page disclosure.  Unless there is a negative disclosure, a buyer working with me is not signing or initialing an unnecessary 5 page document.  There's enough paperwork already. Other Realtors seem to have a problem with ...

I represent a lot of buyers, and a recent conversation I had with a short sale listing agent about a possible offer raised a major red flag. My client wanted to make an offer on a short sale listing.  The attachments on the MLS listing directed me to contact the short sale negotiator, who told me they would put together the paperwork for me to send to the buyer to sign with the information I provided.  That sure would would save me a lot of work.  So far, so good! I verbally provided the buyer's offer price and purchase terms.  The short sale negotiator then told me (in writing) the listing agent had to "review the offer and if he was 'comfortable' with it, would then submit to the seller".  Whoa nelly!  The listing agent would not even accept a written offer below a certain amount, which the listing agent set himself. Under FL real estate law, and the Realtor Code of Ethics, it is the responsibility of the listing agent to submit ANY and ALL offers t...