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

[meauxna 15]

My realestate agent gave me a key chain.

! Be still, my heart!!

Not to pick on LisaD, because I'm in professional sales too, but lots of jobs have extra costs (hello, dry cleaning! ) And Lisa, if you're going to use the reg trademark, isn't it supposed to be REALTOR (all caps--wouldn't want the peasants to miss the point!) <g>

I'm heartily in agreement that the best gift you can give a realtor is a referral. I love my mortgage guy & send him da biz all the time. Maybe one day it will come back around to me...

[Fandango 1,439]

My realestate agent gave me a key chain.

! Be still, my heart!!

Not to pick on LisaD, because I'm in professional sales too, but lots of jobs have extra costs (hello, dry cleaning! ) And Lisa, if you're going to use the reg trademark, isn't it supposed to be REALTOR (all caps--wouldn't want the peasants to miss the point!) <g>

I'm heartily in agreement that the best gift you can give a realtor is a referral. I love my mortgage guy & send him da biz all the time. Maybe one day it will come back around to me...

Well yeah, all businesses have costs, but I'm only broaching the subject because of the misconception that I see that we're 'rolling in it' Many people wrongly assume that the cost that sellers pay (as noted on the HUD statement) goes straight into our pockets, which it doesn't.

Just look at this thread at how many times it's been mentioned. Now I DO give my customers gifts, but essentially I'm giving the gift as somewhat of a friend....I've been there with them every step of the way through what is usually the most stressful and financially important transaction of their lives. It's more due to that personal connection that I've made...and many of my past customers have actually become friends after the fact. I don't give the gift because I've 'fleeced' ppl so much that I'm rolling in dosh....

And yeah, in retrospect, it should be all caps.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

Being in FLorida that's one thing, but being in California where the average house cost about $650,000 thats' a nice commission. My agent gave me a thank you Card, A bottle of Champagne, some Address sticker/Label

The best gift you can give your agent is REFERENCE. The agent makes a tad load of money from commission no matter what other might say maybe it's different in other places. It took me a 2 months multiple offers that got rejected before i found a place that we like and got it for the asking price.

Actually I did great compare to others, the real estate company Ziprealty.com, offer 20% rebate on the commission received, you can either get it as a cash rebate or use it toward your closing cost, my agent was really nice, very professional, courteous, and very important

KNOW THE AREA very well, since he was brought up here, and have all the inside info.

We had a house warming party, he came over with his wife, chill out and we all had a great time

[wherezdabearz 0]

My realtor gave me a bouquet of flowers and a $100 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant. In return I've been telling everyone how wonderful he is and last week I agreed to record a testimonal for him at the local radio station. I was asked if they could call me if they needed a British accent again and I said of course. Got to build up my recording portfolio before I get my EAD and can start charging them...

Alison

[chri'stina 190]

meanwhile...we've been in our new house for over 2 1/2 months now.

[mychelle 1]

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.)

yeah...exactly what she said! i was browsing the thread about The Lake House movie and this showed up below. hey...when did it become a rule not to post on threads older than a month???

Edited June 21, 2006 by mychelle

[Chuckles 0]

I am sure this has been said but...

Hell no I didn't give my real estate agent anything when I have bought houses!!! They are making a killing on me!!! B)

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

hey...when did it become a rule not to post on threads older than a month???

There is no such rule. The only rules that matter are listed in the Terms of Service page at http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...&page=terms.

[Fandango 1,439]

Being in FLorida that's one thing, but being in California where the average house cost about $650,000 thats' a nice commission. My agent gave me a thank you Card, A bottle of Champagne, some Address sticker/Label

The best gift you can give your agent is REFERENCE. The agent makes a tad load of money from commission no matter what other might say maybe it's different in other places. It took me a 2 months multiple offers that got rejected before i found a place that we like and got it for the asking price.

Actually I did great compare to others, the real estate company Ziprealty.com, offer 20% rebate on the commission received, you can either get it as a cash rebate or use it toward your closing cost, my agent was really nice, very professional, courteous, and very important

KNOW THE AREA very well, since he was brought up here, and have all the inside info.

We had a house warming party, he came over with his wife, chill out and we all had a great time

Some areas have a higher cost of living....it's all relative....but whatever...I'm not here to argue this, just trying to shed some insight.

[anya-D 8]

Being in FLorida that's one thing, but being in California where the average house cost about $650,000 thats' a nice commission. My agent gave me a thank you Card, A bottle of Champagne, some Address sticker/Label

The best gift you can give your agent is REFERENCE. The agent makes a tad load of money from commission no matter what other might say maybe it's different in other places. It took me a 2 months multiple offers that got rejected before i found a place that we like and got it for the asking price.

Actually I did great compare to others, the real estate company Ziprealty.com, offer 20% rebate on the commission received, you can either get it as a cash rebate or use it toward your closing cost, my agent was really nice, very professional, courteous, and very important

KNOW THE AREA very well, since he was brought up here, and have all the inside info.

We had a house warming party, he came over with his wife, chill out and we all had a great time

Some areas have a higher cost of living....it's all relative....but whatever...I'm not here to argue this, just trying to shed some insight.

I hear you Lisa, My husband is a REALTOR and we cant even live with his commission (average price foe house here are 100k-300k.. which he never sold a house over 200k!!) and the cuts and other expences are so much!! (That's why eventhough i have a Licence but I need to have a job with salary so we can live!!)

So for the people who think real estate agent should get them gift because they make 7% commission.. that's not true at all....it's more like 2-3% instead after the cuts and still have to pay all the cost such as advertisment, research, gas, phone bill, office charges ect. out of that commission also. I never know this until i met my husband and took real estate class too..

[Fandango 1,439]

Being in FLorida that's one thing, but being in California where the average house cost about $650,000 thats' a nice commission. My agent gave me a thank you Card, A bottle of Champagne, some Address sticker/Label

The best gift you can give your agent is REFERENCE. The agent makes a tad load of money from commission no matter what other might say maybe it's different in other places. It took me a 2 months multiple offers that got rejected before i found a place that we like and got it for the asking price.

Actually I did great compare to others, the real estate company Ziprealty.com, offer 20% rebate on the commission received, you can either get it as a cash rebate or use it toward your closing cost, my agent was really nice, very professional, courteous, and very important

KNOW THE AREA very well, since he was brought up here, and have all the inside info.

We had a house warming party, he came over with his wife, chill out and we all had a great time

Some areas have a higher cost of living....it's all relative....but whatever...I'm not here to argue this, just trying to shed some insight.

I hear you Lisa, My husband is a REALTOR and we cant even live with his commission (average price foe house here are 100k-300k.. which he never sold a house over 200k!!) and the cuts and other expences are so much!! (That's why eventhough i have a Licence but I need to have a job with salary so we can live!!)

So for the people who think real estate agent should get them gift because they make 7% commission.. that's not true at all....it's more like 2-3% instead after the cuts and still have to pay all the cost such as advertisment, research, gas, phone bill, office charges ect. out of that commission also. I never know this until i met my husband and took real estate class too..

That's also if you get both sides of the deal

But thanks for your input, Anya, it's nice to hear from someone else who knows the behind the scenes bit

[Artegal 1]

Well my real estate agent got a commission check for $13,000. No I was not going to give him a gift. In fact the mortgage lender and my real estate agent gave me some gift certificates at Home Depot and other places. But I did give my real estate agent a slap on the back and told him, man you got 13 Grand and you didn't do a ###### thing--not bad for a day's work.

I found the house I just used him to draw up the contract and help set on a price.

And those of you that say the commission is paid by the seller is really wrong--because the seller knows they will pay a commission to the real estate agent or agents and therefore they are going to be less likely to reduce the price etc--in order to compensate for the commission rate. So you know its really you the buyer that pays in the end.

[anya-D 8]

[That's also if you get both sides of the deal

that's will be a good day you list you sell!! wish it comes more often for my hubby

Well my real estate agent got a commission check for $13,000. No I was not going to give him a gift. In fact the mortgage lender and my real estate agent gave me some gift certificates at Home Depot and other places. But I did give my real estate agent a slap on the back and told him, man you got 13 Grand and you didn't do a ###### thing--not bad for a day's work.

I found the house I just used him to draw up the contract and help set on a price.

And those of you that say the commission is paid by the seller is really wrong--because the seller knows they will pay a commission to the real estate agent or agents and therefore they are going to be less likely to reduce the price etc--in order to compensate for the commission rate. So you know its really you the buyer that pays in the end.

If you look at the HUD then you'll know the commission comes from the seller If 13k is the whole commission on your transection then there would be cut to the seller's agent and the real estate agent's company too. But if that's what left from all the cut, wow.. i wish my hubby got those kinda deal..