Make the Other Agent Put It In Writing

There is a lot of garbage out there online about real estate, about lenders, about the entire process. I say garbage because at some point, I think people deserve loyalty. Now how does a professional earn that loyalty. The first interview matters. The past track record matters. The conversation matters. The way they stand up for you matters. And the information they actually hand you, that one might matter most of all.

Here is where it gets tricky. When you are buying or selling, everybody in your life suddenly becomes an expert. Your friends. Your family. The person at the party. You are going to run into people who used a different agent or a different lender than the one you chose, and they are going to have a great story. A fantastical tale where the big one did not get away, where they slayed the dragon, and it was all because of this one particular professional they want you to call.

You Already Chose Your Person

That is the part that gets lost. You already did the work. You picked somebody. You went all in. Maybe this is my generation talking, but when you commit to a professional, you commit. Then at the last possible moment, you let yourself get pulled into a conversation with somebody else, and the whole thing wobbles.

So what does the new person do. They tell you a wonderful story. They tell you how they are going to do it better than the person you are working with right now. They will save you from every problem that could possibly go wrong, get you the best deal, make you more money or cost you less. It is a glorious yarn. The same way the syndication sites spin a story to get your data, which is something I broke down when I explained how the tools you use to find a house are built to capture you, not serve you.

The Contract Is Real, So Be Careful

Before you entertain any of it, understand the ground you are standing on. Depending on what you signed, there may be ethical issues here, and there may even be legal ones. If you are under a representation agreement with your agent, you are committed for the term of that contract. A new agent who leans on you to break it has walked into a problem, and they can drag you into it too. The honest move is to say it out loud. Tell them you are already under contract, and that you take that seriously.

This is the same discipline I bring to the lending side, where I always tell people to interview the lender and get the net sheet in writing before they commit a dollar. Writing is not a hostile move. It is just how serious professionals do business.

The Test: Put It In Writing

Here is the easiest way to handle all of it. Do not fight. Do not get defensive. Just turn the promise into paper. It sounds like this. You know what, Todd, wonderful. Thank you so much. I know I am working with Connor, but you sound adorable and wonderful and the most amazing agent on the planet. So here is what we are going to do. If you want my business, understand I am legally bound to Connor under contract, I have explained that to you, but put what you are willing to do for me in writing so I can look at it and make sure it is not just window dressing.

Same script on the lending side. Say a friend or a family member forces a lender to call you. Maybe you did not even sanction it, but the phone rings anyway. Same thing. Jimmy, thank you so much for calling. Yes, I understand, I already have a lender I am working with, we are in fact even in escrow. But go ahead and put your proposal in writing so I can look at it and digest it. Nobody gets brushed off, and nobody gets to lean on you with a speech. Everything comes back to paper.

Then Hand It To The Pro You Chose

Now the part that makes this actually work. You take those written proposals to the people you already hired. You take the agent's email to your current agent and you say, hey, listen, this agent is telling me he can do so much better than you on all these fronts, even cost me less money. Here is his email. I am forwarding it so you can do what you need to do.

If the claim is real, then your agent needs to step up. Same with the lender. Forward it, let them read it, and let them respond like the professional you hired. You stop being the messenger getting worked over by both sides, and you turn it into a clean comparison on paper. A good professional welcomes that, because they would rather earn the loyalty than assume it. That is the same reason I am open about how I build my own systems instead of just renting someone else's story, and why I tell buyers to do their homework before a seminar room talks them into anything, the way I laid out in the homebuyer advantage breakdown.

Where I Stand In This

I represent sellers only. I am a seller's only agent, and on the sell side it is a flat 17,000 dollars through SeventeenK, spelled out in writing up front so there is nothing to guess at later. I did sellers only on purpose. I was never a fan of dual agency, where one agent sits on both sides of the same deal, even though it is legal in California and I did it for 21 of my 28 years in real estate. Now there is zero conflict of interest at any level. If you are a buyer, I am not leaving you stranded. I have qualified buyer's agents I trust and I will connect you, full transparency that the referral may pay me a fee, and you should know that up front.

The seller has the right to sell. The buyer has the right to buy. Both deserve to do it with all the information on the table, in writing, where everyone can see it. So when somebody comes at you at the last minute with a better story, you already know the move. It is a good test, folks.