Carter here with Century21 Affiliated and today we’re going to be discussing, “can you fire your realtor as a buyer?” And the answer to that question is simple. It is… yes. Being a Realtor is like any other job. If you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing, how long do you think you will be employed?
A realtor’s job is to find you a home, or sell your home. It is really that straight forward. If they do a really bad job at helping you out, you most likely won’t want to work with them!
Another question I ask is If they’re not doing their job, why should you be obligated to work with them? I need to preface this by stating, it depends on your agency relationship with your realtor. Obviously, if you have signed a buyer agency or a listing agreement, you are going to need written evidence that that agreement is terminated, if you want to “fire them.” This is done through the expiration of a Buyer Agency Agreement or a Listing Agreement. Once the contract is expired you have no obligation to work with that particular Realtor.
What if My Realtor Won’t Cancel the Buyer Agreement?
Most real estate brokers don’t want to go through the hassle of a bad review or bad press. However, there are real estate brokers in the Appleton WI area that are very old school. Meaning: You signed an agreement with them & you will need to fulfill that agreement till the date of expiration. My recommendation would be to put buying your first home on hold until that contract expires. A Realtor cannot force you to go house hunting if you don’t want to.
My thought process on a scenario like this is – why hold someone into an agreement that both parties are unhappy with? Even though the Realtor is losing out on potential income, is it worth the additional stress of working with someone who DOESN’T like you? If you were my client & unhappy with my services, please feel free to let me know & we can part ways!
Firing a Realtor Without Buyer Agency
Now I’m going into the other side of the situation, can you fire a realtor if they’re not your buyers’ agent? If you don’t have a buyer agency agreement with them, you do not have to physically work with them if you do not want to. You don’t need any written statements to cancel, you can just walk away, wipe your hands, just get away from them, if they’re a sub-agent of the seller.
This all comes down to agency relationships. Agency agreements are a very high-level conversation that I can explain if you would like. You can send me an email, fill out the form down below, or give me a call on my cell number. But if you don’t have a buyer agency agreement, you can walk away without any harm, or obligation to work with that particular Appleton real estate agent.
Working With Carter
If you have questions or if you’re wondering, “Carter, I’m in this specific scenario, can you give me some advice?” Although I cannot give you advice, I can tell you what I would do in that specific situation and possibly help you out :). So again, feel free to fill out the form down below. Give me a call or text my cell phone, and I’ll be in touch with you just as soon as I can.
