Should I Be Honest Tell The Agent That Im Not Paying?

[lovenest 0]

ok to be clearer, i called agent A and ask her if the unit she market 1 mth before was still available. she said no sold already then she ask me what im looking for and i told her. the next day she called me n told me there is a unit in one of the blks i was interested in, so she arrahnged for viewing and i went. didnt like the house.

so each time got unit she think i might be interested she will inform me...but im afraid she might think that she is my agent and she will get commision from me. im on tight budget n cannot aford to pay anymore.

so can i asssume that she will get commission from seller?? and that i just be straight with her from the start??

[yenfong 0]

ok to be clearer, i called agent A and ask her if the unit she market 1 mth before was still available. she said no sold already then she ask me what im looking for and i told her. the next day she called me n told me there is a unit in one of the blks i was interested in, so she arrahnged for viewing and i went. didnt like the house.

so each time got unit she think i might be interested she will inform me...but im afraid she might think that she is my agent and she will get commision from me. im on tight budget n cannot aford to pay anymore.

so can i asssume that she will get commission from seller?? and that i just be straight with her from the start??

Your agent mostly can not get from seller because seller also have their own agent.

if you can not pay agent fee, you should go to read straint times every saturday to look for your HDB, then call to seller agent directly without your agent help,

you can see this topic. someone teach me how to save agent fee:

http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8649

[mike 0]

That sounds not so fair to the agent, if she provided information and spent the time with you on flat viewing.

why not be open to her and bargain the comm fee ?

[HSH21 1]

Ya... I think if the agent just serve U once and close the deal... U can don't pay the commission... but if she looks up the unit for U and bring U to view many units... she is expecting your commission lor...

[zirhk3355 1]

The agent can only get commission from the seller provided if there is no seller's agent. If there is an agent on the other side, she will be doing this for you for free, do you know that??

You are in the right not to pay commission if you just called up the number as advertised in the newspaper for a particular unit, because you did the search yourself and she just answered the call. In such cases, the unit probably had also appointed that same agent to sell, so she can get commission from seller.

However, the moment that she starts to search for you and bring you to see units that she found suitable, you are in the wrong if you do not pay commission. In today's saturated market, she would mostly co-broke and bring you to see units that have seller's agents. This means that when the transaction is successful, the seller's agent get comm from seller while your agent gets comm from you. Both agents do not exchange/cover each other at all.

but im afraid she might think that she is my agent and she will get commision from me.

The moment you tell her what you want she go searching specifically for what you want, she IS your agent and you have to pay her commission. No need 'afraid', no need to 'think' - it is a FACT.

Of course if the agent stupid enough to do everything for you without asking you sign any agreement, then you can play punk and don't pay lor, but that would be really unethical. Sorry if I sound like be very harsh, but I think you are not an unethical person lah, just that you do not know the regulations and also have a tight budget. So this is just to let you know lor...

Edited May 24, 2007 by zirhk3355

[therat 18]

if u don't want to pay, don't use her service

put urself in her shoe

how would u like..

after spending time and effort, then ppl don't want to pay u.

U work, do u expect pay from ur boss

Be fair to ppl. They also working class. Need to bring rice home

Tell her upfront.

[lovenest 0]

sigh...i did not ask her to look for me.

she asked me if im interested in the particular unit since the other one not available.

then it went on to another unit...this 3rd unit she really working hard on it trying to get to the owner...thats why i got confused and posted this question cos i thought she is their agent.

then at the first unit i asked her if she is the sole agent for the seller...she said 'sort of'...means what!????

i think the next time she calls i will just clear it up with her b4 misunderstanding happen

of course i dont want to 'cheat' her as i also dont like to be cheated.duh

pls note that i have viewed only one unit with her...the 2nd one might happen if she can get to the owner.

Edited May 24, 2007 by lovenest

[Homeowner 1]

Think you realised that you had to pay her if she helps you arrange the viewing and find your unit...if not you wouldn't feel bad or unsure and post the question. But, since you're on a very tight budget, have you explained your situation and negotiated for a commission you are comfortable with? Better be upfront, so that she can quit looking if she's unhappy. If not, you'd be shocked when she hands you her expected commission.

[raincole 0]

I think you will need to be upfront with her about your intention.

However, you may have to do more browsing for those ad that are really seller agents. And to safeguard yourself, you will have to inform that party that you are the buyer and will like to handle the transaction with an agent for representing.

It makes things harder but not impossible.

[lovenest 0]

oh my goodness....i called her to clarify.

guess what she told me...she said even if u call up the sole agent then he still will collect 1% from u as buyer...that is normal practice.

who is trying to con who now????

who is she trying to kid???why hdb do resale seminar if no matter what, we still must pay agent...ridiculous.

[raincole 0]

Don't despair

At least ALL of us know that is NOT the normal practise.

Just keep searching for your flat without using agent. Which areas are you looking?

[lovenest 0]

Don't despair

At least ALL of us know that is NOT the normal practise.

Just keep searching for your flat without using agent. Which areas are you looking?

yeah im so pissed off right now.

and to think that i was feeling guilty that i might have given her wrong idea.

anyway i just contacted another agent marketing another unit...he said he is exclusive agent...lets see what he will say when i say i am my own agent.

[Homeowner 1]

Think this commission thing is really quite unfair...but frankly, I have not heard of anyone who managed to get/ sell a hdb flat without paying some agent commission. And, HDB just shrugs off this agent commision thing as not within its jurisdiction. Raincole, have you ever bought a hdb flat by yourself without paying the seller's agent commission? If you did, can you please share your experience?

I'm just wondering 'cos, like lovenest, I actually looked for my flat myself...and ended up paying the seller's agent 1 percent commission. Admittedly, there is a conflict of interest for the agent. And, to the agent's credit (or discredit, depending on whose side you're on), he did help us by pricing the option to purchase in our favour. He saved us abt $10k (from the sellers' viewpoint, lost them $10k), so I didn't mind paying his commission of abt $3.8k...though I did bargain unsuccessfully...got him quite hot under the collar because he knowingly helped us and expected proper renumeration for his efforts.

[GMC 12]

ok to be clearer, i called agent A and ask her if the unit she market 1 mth before was still available. she said no sold already then she ask me what im looking for and i told her. the next day she called me n told me there is a unit in one of the blks i was interested in, so she arrahnged for viewing and i went. didnt like the house.

so each time got unit she think i might be interested she will inform me...but im afraid she might think that she is my agent and she will get commision from me. im on tight budget n cannot aford to pay anymore.

so can i asssume that she will get commission from seller?? and that i just be straight with her from the start??

So long you are not asking the sole agent to bargain on behalf, technically speaking u need not pay him the commission coz u are not using his service.

However, it is wiser to neg with the sole agent for a smaller percentage fees so you are using his company's legal dept to assist you in any event of dispute.

If you choose not to pay a single cent of commission, be prepared to run errands yourself.

[lovenest 0]

i just found out that my friend also had to pay seller's agent 1%

sigh