If I Direct To Seller Agent, Should I Pay Agent Fee?

[yenfong 0]

If I direct to seller agent, should I pay agent fee?

Know that somebody did not pay it if we did not sign any contract with seller agent.

[raincole 0]

Nope. Do all the docu yourself and submit through HDB reslae.

[yenfong 0]

Nope. Do all the docu yourself and submit through HDB reslae.

but will seller agent will allow you to do this?

[raincole 0]

Why not allowed?

HDB has long allowed transaction to be taken place with/without agents.

[zirhk3355 1]

but will seller agent will allow you to do this?

Of course not.

So you must act blur blur and quickly get the OTP signed, first appt made and don't sign any commission agreement that the agent asks you to sign. Look before you sign anything.

[yenfong 0]

Of course not.

So you must act blur blur and quickly get the OTP signed, first appt made and don't sign any commission agreement that the agent asks you to sign. Look before you sign anything.

But i think seller agent also smart, you get successful not pay to seller agent?

[zirhk3355 1]

But i think seller agent also smart, you get successful not pay to seller agent?

As long as you did not sign anything, you do not have to pay.

The agent will probably try his/her luck and inform you that you have to pay 1% comm, just agree and get along the way, so that you can see the unit and close the deal if you like it. Keep pushing him/her away if asked to sign the commission agreement, say that you will sign after the deal is made. And after the deal is made, don't sign and don't pay.

Yes at this point I sound very unethical; but wait, let's go back to the beginning. Who was being unethical in the first place by asking for comm from you?? Just letting the agent taste their own medicine. And BTW, you are not asking the agent to do his/her job for free, mind you. S/He will still get the 2% comm from the seller - you are just PREVENTING the agent from getting what s/he DO NOT DESERVE.

Good luck!!

Edited May 18, 2007 by zirhk3355

[yenfong 0]

As long as you did not sign anything, you do not have to pay.

The agent will probably try his/her luck and inform you that you have to pay 1% comm, just agree and get along the way, so that you can see the unit and close the deal if you like it. Keep pushing him/her away if asked to sign the commission agreement, say that you will sign after the deal is made. And after the deal is made, don't sign and don't pay.

Yes at this point I sound very unethical; but wait, let's go back to the beginning. Who was being unethical in the first place by asking for comm from you?? Just letting the agent taste their own medicine. And BTW, you are not asking the agent to do his/her job for free, mind you. S/He will still get the 2% comm from the seller - you are just PREVENTING the agent from getting what s/he DO NOT DESERVE.

Good luck!!

Thanks for your info

[lingling 0]

So do you mean as buyers, we do not have to pay any commission to the agent? I'm confused by this because from my past experiences with agents who brought us to viewing, some told us we must pay 2% while some said 1% but none told me I don't need to pay anything although they weren't doing co-broke with another agent.

[zirhk3355 1]

So do you mean as buyers, we do not have to pay any commission to the agent? I'm confused by this because from my past experiences with agents who brought us to viewing, some told us we must pay 2% while some said 1% but none told me I don't need to pay anything although they weren't doing co-broke with another agent.

Put it in a simple way: You only pay commission when the agent had done work for you.

Eg, if you read the classified and found a unit you like, you call the number and went down to the unit to see the flat, likes it and decided to buy. What had that agent done for you? Some people will tell you that the agent is going to do the paperwork after you confirmed to buy, but please lor, the agent represents the seller, he gets 2% from the seller and he NEEDS to do the paperwork in order to get his 2%, doesn't he? In such cases, I would say you do not owe the agent any commission because ZERO work is done to find a suitable unit for you.

Now, let's say you went to see the unit that you read up on the classified, went down to view but you do not like it. So the agent tells you that s/he has other units as well and ask you to take a look. In this case, the agent just out of convenience tries to sell you some of his/her exclusive units, and IMO s/he STILL had not done any work for you at all. And if these units are the agent's exclusive units, then s/he would be getting commission from the seller. With or without you, the agent MUST sell the unit because its his/her exclusive mah. So, same as above, no commission.

How do you know whether exclusive or not? Just ask if there is a seller's agent. If there is no other agent, then your agent is probably the exclusive agent for that unit.

The only scenerio that you pay the agent commission is that when you call up the number on the phamplets in your mailbox, call up the guy/gal who approaches you on the streets, or your friend/relative introduces the agent to you, etc. The moment you call up the agent and gave him/her your requirements, you are actually requesting him/her to do work, and s/he goes find a suitable unit for you. S/He subsequently brought you to go see a few units, and you finally like one of them and decided to buy. In this case, the agent HAS done the proper work for you. And if the seller has an agent, it will be a co-broke situation so your agent will represent you to negotiate a good price. In this case, I would say you should pay the agent his/her due commission of 1%.

BTW there is no such commission of 2% for buyer, not even for private properties. Don't let the agent rip you off...

Edited May 29, 2007 by zirhk3355