Did you give a gift to your real estate agent when buying a house

[almaty 19]

I didn't give him squat.

He gets a healthy commission, that oughta be enough.

The agent is working for the seller, not the buyer. He or she got the commission. If anything they owe you, since you put money in their pocket.

good point as always md

[Fandango 1,440]

I didn't give him squat.

He gets a healthy commission, that oughta be enough.

The agent is working for the seller, not the buyer. He or she got the commission. If anything they owe you, since you put money in their pocket.

good point as always md

Actually, that's not true. It's important enough to point out. I am not a buyer's agent nor a seller's agent. Most realtors® are like me......I am a transaction broker. There is no loyalty to one party and not the other.....there is a lot in the law concerning agency which deals with issues of this nature...

[chri'stina 190]

In our situation, our agent was not working for the company who actually listed the house. A real estate agent owned the house himself and listed it through his own name/company, and our agent works for a different company. We found the house through MLS listings, since it wasn't listed by our own agent.

Edited March 28, 2006 by stina&suj

[Robert & Van 0]

I gave mine a restaurant gift certificate for 50.00 in a card.

[mychelle 1]

I don't know what the etiquette is for giving your real estate agent something at closing...whether some people just give a thank you card or a gift, etc. I really like our agent, I had already known her but didn't know it at first. Her daughter was in the preschool I worked in last year and we had seen eachother every day. Then she was referred to me by my parents, and after talking on the phone with her a few times I figured out who she was. Anyway, she has been great and really sweet.

So what do we give/not give her? What's appropriate?

actually...she should be the one giving you a gift...since she got a commission making a sale off you. my friend received something from his real estate agent...an ornamental/lucky plant but he said...it would have been better if she gave him a cash rebate from her commission. if you must say thank you...you can write a card or something. it will still show your appreciation.

[gimygirl 0]

WHY do people post on MONTH old threads?!?!?!??! how many pages did you have to click through to even find it!?!?!?

[Elizabethnhenry 0]

LOL

I think people don't pay attention to the posting date - they are lured in by the similar topics bucket at the bottom of the page that houses all the posts that contain similar words to the one they are currently reading or replying to and they just click on the post and type away. (Ok that must be a run-on sentence.)

[ktmmansgal 0]

I don't know what the etiquette is for giving your real estate agent something at closing...whether some people just give a thank you card or a gift, etc. I really like our agent, I had already known her but didn't know it at first. Her daughter was in the preschool I worked in last year and we had seen eachother every day. Then she was referred to me by my parents, and after talking on the phone with her a few times I figured out who she was. Anyway, she has been great and really sweet.

So what do we give/not give her? What's appropriate?

Yes I agree with the other post --- usually 7% commision is good enough --- actually if anyone should be getting a gift is is you! You may not pay the commision because the person listing the house does that.

When I bought my house a year ago, my agent gave me a gift certificate for Lowes home and garden store

the last time I bought a house the Real Estate agent gave me a big bushel basket of apples ---

Thank-you card works well

Edited June 20, 2006 by ktmmansgal

[*Robert* 2]

LOL

I think people don't pay attention to the posting date - they are lured in by the similar topics bucket at the bottom of the page that houses all the posts that contain similar words to the one they are currently reading or replying to and they just click on the post and type away. (Ok that must be a run-on sentence.)

I started to read it, and thought... this is a question for Lisa! Then I saw a post from Jim and thought... hey, Jasman is back!!! Then I looked at the date and thought like Gimy... #######?!!!

Oh well!!!

[gimygirl 0]

LOL

I think people don't pay attention to the posting date - they are lured in by the similar topics bucket at the bottom of the page that houses all the posts that contain similar words to the one they are currently reading or replying to and they just click on the post and type away. (Ok that must be a run-on sentence.)

aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! now that makes perfect sense!!! thanx liz!!

[Flames9_RN 359]

exactly, one gets bored and just keeps reading page after page!! lol When I bought my first house in Victoria BC, gave my realtor a nice bottle of wine. Took awhile to find the house, so he spent a lot on gas! Plus the realtor doesnt get the whole 3%!! He has to pay his company a share as well. Were looking for a house now in the DC area and most likely wil do the same, nice bottle of wine and a thank you card. Right now can't say I would use my agent as a sellers agent. THey may be a great buyers agent, but selling is different, but so far soo good. Housing prices here is crazy!! Will have to live on bread and water, lol

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't know what the etiquette is for giving your real estate agent something at closing...whether some people just give a thank you card or a gift, etc. I really like our agent, I had already known her but didn't know it at first. Her daughter was in the preschool I worked in last year and we had seen eachother every day. Then she was referred to me by my parents, and after talking on the phone with her a few times I figured out who she was. Anyway, she has been great and really sweet.

So what do we give/not give her? What's appropriate?

A wedge of cash if someone has put in an offer ahead of you

[sarah and hicham 3]

The real estate agent should be giving you something, not the other way around. They made money off of you so they should give you a gift. We got gift certificates to a nice restaurant when my parents bought my appartment.

[Fandango 1,440]

Where's our resident real estate agent, lisaD?! She would probably give some good ideas from an agents point of view!

Hahahha...dunno how I missed this thread completely!

I gotta say...and if I'm getting this wrong, then I apologise....there seems to be this huge misconception that we as realtors® make 'too much money'......just because the selling firm might get x%....that does not usually go to just the agent (and if it does in some places, lemme know where that is!!!)...as a realtor® , yesI get a cut of that money....which then I get desk fees deducted from, admin fees, lawyer fees, etc...Then when I actually get a check - I have to put money aside to pay my own taxes (with no employer contributions) , my own health insurance (I'm classed as my own business & don't get group health), board dues, mls dues, gas, continuing education, etc etc.....then I have to put some away in case sales are slow the next month.

By no means am I twisting about it, but there is a huge cost to doing business in real estate that ppl don't factor in, or don't even know about....the typical agent makes 30 grand a year...that is by no means rolling in it......I love my job & wouldn't do anything else & be this happy....but things aren't always what they seem...most realtors® bust their asses to keep their customers happy & to make that sale...and if you look at it by $$$ per hr....well there would be a great amount who are getting below minimum wage!!!

That being said, Stina, I think you made the right decision concerning the gift...a note is a great gift to get....I usually give out gifts at closing, not take them...I would be most happy if my customers were so happy that they passed my card along to a friend of theirs...that says everything.

^^^

what she said

[BelwinMills 0]

My realestate agent gave me a key chain. They should give u a gift not u giving them a gift. They just made lots of dough!