The home-selling business is known for being the Wild, Wild West. There are a few rules and ethics filed away in a drawer somewhere but there is no enforcement unless you do something really bad, like this guy - who only lost his real estate license a couple of months...
An article about Compass agents who used a new off-market service called Aalto to sell a special house. Ethics and fiduciary duties are getting shrugged off, and instead the off-market sale has become the sexy option. Hat tip to recently-married Susie for sending...
The history of housing discrimination is getting a lot of attention these days, and rightfully so. If you, or someone you know, wants to contribute, KPBS is looking for stories: KPBS is doing an investigation into the legacy of "redlining" in San Diego. This is the...
A few readers have sent in articles regarding the class-action lawsuit filed about commissions - an excerpt: A class-action lawsuit is seeking to upend the way homes are listed for sale and the commissions paid to agents. The goal, say the plaintiffs, is to make home...
The DRE has finally issued 'guidance' on the Coming Soons. Ignored are these facts about agents making off-market deals with no MLS exposure: We see top agents doing it regularly, There is no enforcement whatsoever, and You give us the forms to CYA (last paragraph)....
Yesterday we heard from Gov Hutchinson, the assistant general counsel for the California Association of Realtors. He travels around the state to inform realtors of the basic changes to forms, and helps define other aspects of the business - here's a summary of what...
This is how the industry enforces the rules - run an article like this every once in a while that gives tips how to CYA. We do have a form that absolves agents from wrong-doing, which just begs agents to ignore the rules: From N.A.R. If you or your client is...
For those who 'specialize in the off-market space', here's a new excuse to justify your unethical and probably illegal practices: "some buyers don’t want photos of the home they’re purchasing on the internet"....
The State of California doesn't have a Code of Ethics..... This article is Part Two of a series arguing for the reinstatement of the Department of Real Estate (DRE)’s code of ethics. If you haven’t already, take a look at Part One, which provides context for the...
In hopes of finding some legal clarity on the listing agents who practice the Coming Soons and Sold Before Processings, I came across this example at the DRE website - we see these happen regularly: The requirements of law governing the relationship between agent and...
