The Underbelly of Toronto Real Estate

Cellphones

2009-08-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Okay double post today....

One thing that I don't understand, and probably never will.

Lets say you're a Realtor. You've spent all this money getting your license (and contributing to the cash grab of keeping it)

You spend thousands on advertising, signs, open houses

You get a cell phone because you need it to do business - no business - no paycheck.

So why the HELL do these "professionals" block their numbers so you can't call them back?

Last Friday I have two potential deals on the go. Yes, the Chinese agent and the dim-wit that doesn't read. Both of them call me on my cell phone - I missed their calls but not only do they block their phone numbers so they show up as "unknown number", but they don't leave a message!

Or, as one of them did once - leaves a message telling me to call her immediately - but doesn't leave her number!

By the time Friday evening rolled around dealing with these two I had had enough. I was having dinner at 10 (yeah, I know) and my phone goes off.

"Unknown number".

I thought about answering it but quickly reconsidered: "you know what? If you can't tell me who you are, I don't want to talk to you".

Ignore.

Whack job Realtors

2009-08-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Bit of an update on the prize Realtor I was speaking of below. No.... it's been 8 weeks and she still hasn't read the Agreement, but to be honest, I don't think her client did either.

She calls me this week asking ME what needs to be done before my client moves in.

Uh.... why don't you pick up YOUR copy of the Contract and oh, I don't know.... READ IT?

I finally met this person on Friday and all my suspicions were confirmed. She's one of these people that thinks she knows it all and spouts off all the time, but occasionally opens her mouth and proves what an idiot she is. Also one of these people that loves the sound of her own voice. Asks you a question and then interrupts you when you're answering her. FWIW, her client is exactly the same. Good thing I didn't have a firearm with me or I'd be awaiting trial.

After her client signing a contract saying that he'd repair anything that needed repair during a move in inspection- he decides to tell us that he's not fixing a couple of broken doors because "they don't bother him". Uh, no I guess they wouldn't since he's not living there. Also says, and I love this... "I'm not doing renos every time I get a new tenant". And this my friends is a man who my clients are paying 2,200 a month in rent for the next two years. I wish they'd been game when I told them I thought we should play hardball and threaten to walk away and look elsewhere.

All this happened on the same day that a Chinese Realtor (and yeah I know I'll get flack for that) decided to tell me that we "should look elsewhere for something" because either her or her client didn't like the clauses I put in the offer. The clauses were fixing the ones she had in her version that were a violation of the Landlord Tenant Act. Also claimed that our wanting the unit painted was outrageous because the walls were "fine". Yeah, the walls that are still the builders flat beige that have dirt and footprints on them on an 18 month old condo. Turns out that even if we'd offered full list and not wanted anything painted, our money wasn't good enough for them.

Now the reason I mention that she's Chinese is because it's a well known fact amongst Realtors here in Toronto that anytime you see either a Chinese name as an owner or as the Listing Agent, you're in for a headache. No grasp of the concept of negotiating or of the law - especially if the prospective Tenants are non-chinese. You should see some of the crap they pull. Illegal deposits, and violations of the Act left, right and center. Many Realtors won't even show listings like this. One of these days I'll learn and join 'em.

Yes, Realtors are not supposed to NOT show certain listings, but heres the facts - there are certain listings that many agents will not show unless they absolutely have to. This is not all of them but some of them are:

- anything Brad Lamb lists - all his sales force seem to emulate him and are as obnoxious as he is

- rentals with Chinese named owners or Listing Agents

- increasingly - anything listed with Right At Home Realty (they seem to hire plenty of salespeople with little experience, seem to have little disregard for ethics and little desire to improve their level of professionalism).

I don't have a problem working hard for what I earn, but I refuse to be a candidate for the looney bin just to take home $800 for what should have been a simple rental that turns into a nightmarish drama resulting in more work than would have been involved to SELL the darn house.

And so begins a week off from this insanity.

Totally unprofessional "Realtors"

2009-07-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well my friends, the past 7 months have been interesting.

Lousy economy. Housing starts plummet. You'd think that Realtors would pull up their socks and put their noses to the grindstone. Wouldn't you? Please tell me you would!

Some of us continue to plug away, trying to do business above-board while others continue to amaze with the depths of unprofessionalism they'll operate at.

I've recently had dealings with a Realtor in Toronto. She can't speak English very well, so it amazes me that she managed to even get her license.

So.... she has a listing and goes away on vacation, leaving someone else to look after it while she's away. No problem really. Except the one that is taking care of it really doesn't have a clue. I don't think she even read the offer I sent in to her on the property - in early June.

After her client accepts our offer and I send it back to be signed where it's supposed to be (basically doing HER job), and all the conditions have been accepted, she calls me wanting to change some things. Uh, no way!

Cut to dealing with the listing agent again this week and she says a couple of things that lead me to think she hasn't even read our offer, so I ask her. "Have you read the offer that your client accepted?"

"No, I haven't read it", I've been too busy."

So there you go folks. Your Realtor, the person who is supposed to have "your best interests in the front of their mind", hasn't read the offer YOU signed in over four weeks since she's come back from holidays! She's been too "busy". Even better.... the "Realtor" you were dealing with when the Realtor you're paying commission to was on holidays - didn't read the offer either.

Is it any wonder that I've started looking for a job where I don't have to deal with so many unprofessional people?

I'm thinking Funeral Director.

FWIW, I love this "I've been really busy" excuse. You know what? These days we're all busy. Busy trying to keep our heads above water. If you have a client that is paying you a commission to make sure their best interests are protected, you MAKE the time to read an offer.

If I had my way, people like these two would be stripped of their licenses, and the Broker given a hefty fine as they are the ones ultimately responsible for the behavior of their "Agents".

But life being the way it is, idiots like these two will somehow continue to get clients that have NO idea whats going on, and until someone files a lawsuit when things go wrong, it'll be business as usual. Meanwhile, Realtors like myself that actually insist on having t's crossed, i's dotted and doing things above board - can't catch a break (or a client) and think about getting into a different career that isn't so full of dishonest, lazy people.

But I'm not bitter!

New Year - same ol' stuff

2009-01-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

You'd think that with the economy being in the tank, and listings sitting on the market for much longer than some people are used to, that some sellers or landlords would change their attitudes towards buyers/tenants.

You'd be incorrect.

I recently had a client searching for a rental property. Great client. Works for a large multinational. Found a place. I wanted to go in at much less than list - the client didn't want to "play games", "Just get us this place!". I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Long story short, the landlord got close to his list price at over $3,900 a month for his condo.

Part of the Agreement was that the unit was to be professionally cleaned prior to the possession date.

You know where this is going don't you?

The Landlord is getting over $100,000 over the term of the lease and he can't be bothered sweeping the thick layer of construction dust off the floors in his brand new condo for a tenant. Or cleaning the windows or mirrors or light fixtures that have grey dust on them.

I called and emailed the Listing Agent, basically telling him that I expect the deficiencies to be taken care of this week. The Listing Agent, by the way, has gone to Asia on vacation, without telling anyone that he's working with, and by the looks of it, without leaving anyone here in charge of this business while he's away.

You know where this is going as well, right?

Thats right. No response. The place has closed. He doesn't care.

Nice huh?

Communications and the Information age

2008-12-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Realtors spend thousands of dollars a year on Blackberrys, Treos, websites, pagers, Front Desk personnel that can have you paged 24 hours a day. All in the effort to be contactable "just in case" some business comes their way.

So why does no one return phone calls?

It's pretty bad when I have to omit the fact that I'm a Realtor when paging or leaving a message for another Realtor to call me back for whatever reason. That way, they think I'm a potential client and sometimes return my call very quickly. They're pissed that they wasted the call talking to another "Agent" but at least I might have the answer I need to do the best job for my Client.

Needless to say, this trick usually only works once.

Let the Games begin

2008-12-10T16:29:00.001-08:00

It should come as no shock to anybody really that the market has slowed down here in Toronto.

It's a Buyers market - but buyers ain't buyin'!

What is shocking is that the same level of unprofessionalism and apathy is out there as there was during the boom times.

To wit (or in this case - witless):

You have a listing. Maybe you actually worked at getting it.

In a building with plenty of competition. (because everyones trying to dump their units now)

Your client wants it sold or even leased! It's vacant. No one living there. So what do you do?

tell a Co-operating Broker that wants to show it to try after 4 pm , even though the property is vacant. Sorry! My Corporate client was in town at 9 and wanted to make a decision by 11. We went for the unit a few floors below yours - and got it.
leave the key at your office and tell anyone wanting to show it to pick it up first and then proceed to the building. (Uh, not going to happen. Get a lockbox and put it on the premises, or leave the key with the concierge like everyone else is doing. I'm not driving 30 minutes out of my way to pick up a key) Especially when there are close to 30 other units available in the building.
your office confirms an appointment saying the key is at the concierge. I call from the building at the appointment time saying that the concierge does not have the key. Your office pages you and tells you to call me IMMEDIATELY because I have a confirmed appointment to show your listing and can't get in. You ignore it. You never call me. We secure another property - same building, at a higher price than yours is listed at.

Big surprise that your unit is unsold/unleased huh? You know what? I work with Triple A clients and you lost 2 opportunities to sell your clients home. Especially since #1 and #3 above are the SAME Agent and the same property!

Another Agent who we'll call Apathetic Annie calls when I want to book an appointment to show her 3 million dollar listing. Is then disappointed to find out we're ONLY interested in leasing (even though it's also listed for lease) and "wont' bother" to come out to meet us.

Yes, why bother coming to meet someone interested in spending $10,000 A MONTH to rent your clients' home?

I arrive to discover the door lock is broken and anyone could walk right into the home, which is vacant.

1. I call the Listing agents office and ask them to page me saying that the door cannot be locked.

2. Call the Listing agent directly and leave a message on her voice mail and tell her whats going on.

3. Call the Listing Brokerage office when I leave saying that the premises are unlocked due to a broken door.

No one calls me back. Not even to thank me for letting them know.

Seeing a pattern here?

I currently have a listing. Great place, in a building right downtown. Everyone that shows is instructed to remove their shoes, leave a card and turn the lights off when they leave. Guess what? The floors are dirty and the lights left on by persons' unknown as there aren't any cards on the counter.

Except my own.

Same old story - you call and ask for feedback on your showing and perhaps ask them to read the signs and follow instructions - but the Agents never call you back.

Builders and other unsavory characters

2008-07-30T16:24:00.001-07:00

Its been a while since I've posted. Have been busy learning that there are fewer and fewer reputable people out there.

Sellers:

Sell a place vouching that everything is in good working order. Buyer moves in and not only does the air conditioning not work - the repair people who finally showed up (see below) say that it was obvious that it hasn't worked in a long time. Buyers - stick to your guns and take the crooked Seller to court for every penny he owes you! Further, don't sign a release of any sort without getting your Lawyers (see below) approval.

Trades (which could include Lawyers)

An air conditioning repair guys comes, diagnoses a problem and then leaves his son to do the repairs. Son does not do things correctly. Tell the customer that there are bigger issues and they'll get back to them with a quote. Never call back.

Other HVAC people miss an appointment, and when you call their office, they say they can't come today "oh yes, we were JUST going to call you".

Or they come and the repair "technician" spends most of his time talking in Farsi to someone on his phone.

The home you purchased was built by a builder that cheaped out on just about everything possible. Not only is the AC system and ductwork undersized for the home, but they put in a brand that according to one repair person "I've only seen this make in third-world countries". The small ductwork means that even if you wanted to - upsizing the condenser and evaporator wouldn't improve things.

You're willing to pay to get a window replaced because the cheap-ass builder put in windows that don't open. You call 8 companies. Those that actually have someone call you back (4) tell you that unless you are replacing 5 or more windows - forget it. They won't bother coming to give you an estimate. Out of 8, only *1* company shows up to give you a quote. One of them gives you such an out of whack figure you wonder whether he just told you that figure to get you out off the phone. Even the guy from Home Depot that you were counting on doesn't show. Calls to the Depot get a promise that the service manager will call you but you're skeptical. For good reason - he never calls.

Lawyers - once the deal is done, they don't want to talk to you. Or they tell you to do this, do that - basically do their work for them - then tell their assistants to tell you to sort it out between yourself and the other party. When you do, he tells you he "never would have signed that". Like you were stupid for doing so. If anyone knows a good Real Estate Lawyer - please let me know - as I've yet to find one.

It's pretty bad when the most honest person you've met in the last 5 months has been a hard working rug cleaner who tells you you are crazy for even considering getting hardwood floors. "Wait until the economy tanks and they'll be willing to sharpen their pencils".

Experts

2008-01-31T08:29:00.000-08:00

I like listening to and watching other people. Always have.

I've recently been doing some non real estate-related stuff that entails many hours of sitting around with other guys waiting while the powers that be need us. This leaves considerable time for conversation.

One guy was telling a group how real estate and landlording was the best investment and easiest way to make money. "Just cash the cheques every month" seemed to be his mantra.

I couldn't help but interject and say that while it's less risky than the stock market (in which he also appears to think himself a guru) it really depends what kind of landlord you want to be. Sure you can be a slumlord and never maintain the property, ending up with a property that is in dire need of repair, with unhappy tenants and either spend thousands repairing it when you want to sell, or get less than market value for it. Or, you can keep on top of things and maintain it, make sure you get good tenants, freshen things up between tenants and hopefully keep them happy, pay you on time, and get a good price if and when you sell.

I have to admit I was thinking of some (adult female) tenants I had once that after they moved out, it was apparent that in the 18 months they'd been there - had never so much as wiped the kitchen floor once. These were the same tenants that were thrilled to get a place to live with a wonderfully landscaped yard and said they'd maintain it (and signed a lease stating this), but once they got in and decided to buy a cottage - any maintenance on my home went right out the door. Reminder to self: listen to your gut instinct when screening tenants - it's rarely wrong.

"You're full of shit" he tells me.

You're right, I'm only a Real Estate Agent and former landlord, so what would I know?

And people wonder why there are so many problems between landlords and tenants?

Oy.

Old school

2007-08-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

I've written before about Realtors that don't return phone calls in a timely manner, if at all. Ran into another one this week.

Describes herself as "old school". Won't do offers by fax (which is fine with me as I trust just about no-one these days what with phantom offers being rampant - so I like meeting personally), won't take phone calls during dinner hour, doesn't work weekends (?!) etc.

Apparently she doesn't like returning phone calls either. I showed her listing and my client wants to put in an offer. Had her paged, message being that I had an offer for her, and left a message for her on her cellphone, with the same message and asking when we could get together to present the offer.

It's been well over a day and I still haven't heard from her.

Yes sirree, she's got her clients best interests in mind.

In her defence though, it's not just Realtors that are doing this. When did people just decide to stop returning phone calls? I referred a client to a number of roofing companies. The client is willing to spend over $10,000 for new windows but do you think anyone from one particular roofing company will return a phone call? Thats a $10,000 sale lost to them. I guess business is so good they don't need it.

Incidentally, regarding "phantom offers"...
Our illustrious Toronto Real Estate Board President is on the record saying that the whole multiple offer situation is transparent and that so-called phantom offers aren't an issue.

Don't believe it for a second. I don't know where she's been working but she's out to lunch on this one.

If you are a Buyer and you are going into a multiple offer situation - instruct your Realtor that you want him to present personally, and to take note of how many other Agents are there and confirm with the listing agent how many offers are registered. Also, if offers are being faxed, that you want an acknowledgement that your offer was received (theres a form for this)

In the long run, I suppose it will always be possible for a less than honest Listing Agent to say that "I'm getting another offer by fax" when there is infact, no offer coming. All to create the impression that there are people clamouring to purchase the property.

Even more important is to approach the purchase with a clear figure as to your max, and realizing that there is more than one property out there. With all the problems in the States (foreclosures) the last thing you want to do right now is pay more than you should for something.

Home Wars

2007-07-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Kind of unusual that I'd post twice in one day, but saw this article in the Toronto Star yesterday and had to comment.

For the record, if I was the Selling agent and discovered through my clients' home inspection that a house had evidence of termites, I would inform the Listing Agent immediately.

What the Listing Agent does with that information is up to him/her. If he/she has any ethics, they'd tell the owners.

In the story linked above, the inspection turned up painted over termite tunnels. The clients told their agent, the selling agent about them and she decided not to tell anyone as she felt "why ruin it for everyone?". As a result, the sellers got more than list price for a home in which they probably knew had termites.

There's another lesson here - ALWAYS get a home inspection. Whereas some things can (and do) miss an Inspectors eye - a $400 dollar investment is great insurance when you're purchasing something in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Especially in todays market, where "bidding wars" are common.

And speaking of Bidding Wars, the newly elected President of the Toronto Real Estate Board seems to think that the current "system" (if you can call it that) is adequate and "transparent". Bullplop. When Agents say there are 4 offers on a property and you find out afterwards that there were probably only 3, when there is no system of checks and balances to ensure that 3 offers were "registered", and when there is no across the board system of Registering an Offer that everyone practices - theres a problem.

Currently, there is nothing preventing me (aside from my ethics) to say that I have 1, 2, or more offers registered on a property in order to increase the frenzy to get a higher-than-list price for a home for sale.

There are Agents in Toronto that have a reputation for pulling this stuff. How do we know? Well when you register an offer, and are told that "theres another offer coming in by fax", so you withdraw - and the house sits unsold for weeks afterwards, you sort of get the feeling that somethings not right. Either both parties pulled out, the other offer was refused or insufficient or something else happened. Just doesn't smell right.

A Realtors Rant

2007-07-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

You may find this hard to believe, but watching a few episodes of HGTV does not automatically qualify you as an expert in the real estate market.

As someone who went to school for close to a year, wrote several exams, passed, then had to take more courses during the cash grab the government calls the "articling period", and have mandatory courses I have to take for the rest of the time I decide to keep my license, believe me when I say I may know a little more about buying and selling a house than you do.

If you think you're one of those people who think you're going to save your money and sell it yourself, good luck to you. Must be nice to have all that free time. Bear in mind that when you are comparing your house to others that sold through the MLS system, that you need to take about 5% off those prices to price yours. Just because your neighbor/mistress/friend/barber/brother/sister/person of faith sold their house for 300 grand does not mean yours is worth that - no matter how many trinkets you've purchased at the Home Depot or Rona.

Good luck weeding through the tire kickers and those people who are out "just looking" to see how the other half lives, or even those who are casing the joint to rip you off later. A big portion of you will end up giving up but hey, give it your best shot. A hint though - not all Realtors are slimeballs. Granted - many are. But if we call you to ask questions about your house, some of us may actually have a buyer who is interested. Telling us to "fuck off" is probably not conducive to completing a sale.

Sellers - When you ask me what my commission is and I tell you, don't tell me I'll "have to do it for less". Would you like it if your boss asked you to work for half your salary for the next month? Especially if your boss told you that'd he'd also be taking half of what you actually made after working for half. Thats right, my Broker takes a hefty chunk of everything I make. If you really want something for nothing - call someone else. There are agents out there that will work for next to nothing, but I wouldn't trust them to sell my daughters' doll house. They'll put a sign on your lawn and thats the last you'll see of them. Forget about marketing your home. Besides, if I'm willing to work for less than I think I'm worth, do you really think I'm going to work to get you the best price for your house?

Yeah, everyone wants to save money, or get something for nothing. Personally, as someone in "the biz", I like dealing with Agents who return phone calls, find out the answer to a question if they don't know, don't bullshit if they don't know, return phone calls, return pages, CALL when they say they will, make sure that documents are signed properly and legibly to save everyone time, and conduct themselves in an ethical manner. These are the people I'd want to work for me when I sell my house. Did I mention returning phone calls? Funny how the Agents I like working with never cut their commissions, and the ones I have all the problems with are the ones that do. Either that or they work for a "Big City Broker" and think their shit doesn't stink. You know what buddy? That boss whose ass you have your nose jammed up in used to steal flags off the graves of veterans and sell them - and seems to be proud of his "entreprenurial" savvy in doing so....so you can imagine what I think of you.

I know you think you know more than I do - after all, if you saw it on TV it must be true!, but you may want to take at least one or two of my suggestions to heart...
When I give you a range of what your home is worth - tacking on 10 grand to that is probaby not a good idea. It's a waste of my time, marketing dollars (which comes out of my commission that you want to cut) and more importantly - your time and energy.

You're planning to move anyway right? So pack some of the crap that litters your entire house away NOW. I think you can live without your wedding/birthday/childhood/dog photos, thimble collection and knick knacks that lay all over the place for a month or so. Make the beds - do you really think people want to see your body hair and fluid stains on the sheets?, clean.... oh hell even just flush the toilets, and empty the wastepaper baskets if you know people are coming to look at your house. Again, we don't need to know what kind of personal care products you use. Moreover, the empty yogurt container and a spoon in the bathroom next to the toilet give me and potential buyers visuals we just don't need. Empty the litter box and wash the dishes, or at least stick 'em in the dishwasher.

Your house shows like a crack den and then you blame me because it's not selling? Heres a hint for you... when people want to go home and shower after seeing your house, its generally not a good sign.

When I tell you that the "faux finish" sponge painted walls that you're so proud of should be painted over in a neutral color - believe me. When I actually volunteer to do it myself, you should take that as a hint that it looks like hell. Yes yes, I know your friends all think it looks wonderful - what, you think they're going to tell you the truth? They probably figure your 3 year old got carried away with the paint set.

Buyers.. and renters... heres a news flash for you.... you're not going to find a new 1000 sq ft condo, with new stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, 2 bedrooms, a balcony with a fabulous view, low monthly maintenance fees, parking and a locker, a five minute walk from your office in downtown Toronto for 150 grand - or under 1100 a month. If you're coming from out of town and told me that you only have 1 day to find something - don't cop an attitude with me when nothing we see matches your unrealistic criteria in its entirety. Especially when you tell me that you "are far too busy" to look through my suggestions and for me to pick them out for you. I know this may be hard for you to believe, but I'm not going to intentionally show you places that don't match your unrealistic "wants". I do have more productive things to do with my time. When I show you 8 places and tell you that this is everything in the area - don't tell me to show you more tomorrow. You may not beleive this, but I do have other clients, and you've seen all thats available. Thats it! Further, whereas I think your "I never compromise anything" attitude is admirable, it's going to have to change if you have any expectation of finding a home in a hot market.

I know, I know - you living 5,000 miles away probably makes you an expert on local real estate, but when both I AND the relocation agency tell you something, do you not think we may have a inkling as to what market conditions are? Maybe just a liiiitle more than you do?

I can appreciate that you are trying to stick to a budget, but try to see things in a grander scale. When you're making close to a hundred grand a year, is the potential for a $45 dollar a month hydro bill REALLY the deal breaker you seem to think it is?

Appliances. I've seen more transactions fall thru or get held up over a 10 year old stove or fridge than I'd ever thought possible. You know what? If the seller wants to go through the hassle of moving a 300 pound relic that probably won't survive the trip to it's new location - let him! More often than not, it ends up on a curb somewhere because after "beating out " the buyer and getting to keep the stove, they realize it's not worth hanging on to and moving. For 800 to 1000 dollars, you can get a fancy NEW stove that in some cases, you won't have to make payments on for more than a year - and they'll move it in for you. Thats if the seller doesn't turn around and ask you if you want to buy the appliance that they so desperately wanted to keep.

Home Inspections - Okay, so you're buying a $400,000 house, but you balk at paying $300.00 to make sure that its not going to need a new roof or be completely rewired in order to get insurance? Further, you get into a competition situation and pay $50,000 dollars MORE than the asking price, and don't want to spend $150.00 for my clients' - the "losers" home inspection reports that they (wisely) had done. That way, at least the losing party would recoup half of their "loss" and you'd know what you actually spent $450,000 on. I like living on the edge too but remind me never to go to Vegas with you.

People who won't help you help them

2007-05-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever run into someone that really thinks their shit doesn't stink?

They think their time is worth more than yours, and will disagree with everything you say because they seem to think they know better.

Several times now in the last several months I've had clients who are new arrivals to Canada from overseas and need to find a place to live.

For whatever the reason, they haven't gotten around to getting a Social Insurance Number. I didn't think this was legal - working in Canada without a SIN, but it also means that you can't have a credit check done on you. Sure, they'll have a letter from their employer saying that they earn X amount every year, but some landlords won't care about that - they're worried about your ability to pay. I know plenty of people to make buckets of cash but still spend it before payday.

I found out after asking but the reason this guy didn't have a SIN was because "he was too busy" to get one. He hadn't even gotten around to getting a bank account yet. This after being in Canada for several months.

Then he got all testy because the Landlord wouldn't rent to him without a credit check, which is difficult to get without a SIN and/or a bank account.

The mind boggles.

Toronto Agents who don't care

2007-05-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

For them its all about the money.

Get the papers signed and then forget about their client, the other Agent, or the poor sot on the other end.

Especially when it comes to Leases.

Most Agents won't touch leases with a barge pole. Too much work for too little pay.

Thats what they think anyway. As a result, most Agents who do do them are those that either really need the money, need a listing, or like me - doing it because it helps people out who are in need of a place to live. Or better yet, because I'm a professional who doesn't turn down work simply because it won't earn me thousands for a few days work.

Will blog more on this later but there is one particular Brokerage in Toronto who give slimey new definition. Twice now one of their Agents has hung up on me when I DARED ask a question that should have been on the Listing in the first place. Thats 2 different Agents from the same office. Simply because they were either too busy or too lazy to look up the information that they are responsible for providing. One of them didn't even call me after the deadline for our offer had expired - to tell me that they were mulling it over, needed more time or even that they'd rejected it. Is this part of a new training program?

This latest hang up after waiting 2 days for them to return my page, and fax as a backup.

Once the paperwork is signed they're off chasing the $$ and could care less about servicing their clients interests.

Totally unprofessional.

The industry is awash with them my friends.