It\u2019s unbelievable how some (large) real estate agencies treat potential buyers. The housing shortage is shamelessly used as a tool to pit buyers against each other and squeeze every last penny out of them.<\/p>\n
Recently, I was in Leidschenveen with my clients as their buying agent to view a property. There were at least eight other viewers in the house at the same time\u2014it was a constant stream of people coming and going. Meanwhile, the selling agent was glued to his phone, barely acknowledging any of the potential buyers.<\/p>\n
Then, right there on the spot, they suddenly announced a deadline\u2014a “soft deadline,” as they called it. “We don\u2019t work with hard deadlines,” the selling agent casually mentioned.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to the day of this so-called \u201csoft\u201d deadline: incredibly high offers had come in\u2014more than enough for the seller to make a choice. But guess what? The next day, we were suddenly told that a hard<\/strong> deadline had been set. Why? Simple. To push the price even higher, to pit buyers against each other even more, and to push hardworking young couples and families\u2014who are already struggling to find a home\u2014further into desperation and stress.<\/p>\n And here\u2019s where it gets even uglier: some real estate agents receive a bonus on the amount overbid<\/strong>. So the higher the price is driven up, the more the selling agent earns. This is not fair play. This is pure exploitation of people\u2019s desperation.<\/p>\n Of course, sellers want the best price\u2014I get that. But it is the responsibility of the selling agent to ensure the process is fair and transparent. What\u2019s happening here crosses every ethical line and, in my opinion, is completely against the rules and agreements set by industry organizations and the Ministry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get dragged into these ridiculous games. If you find yourself in a situation like this, withdraw your offer. All of you.<\/strong> Let\u2019s see what happens then.<\/p>\n Choose an agent who truly works in your best interest\u2014one who advises you properly and doesn\u2019t just chase the highest price at the expense of buyers.<\/p>\n Luckily, there are still plenty of honest, ethical agents\u2014often working at smaller or mid-sized agencies\u2014who are genuinely committed to their clients. Want to make sure your agent follows the industry’s rules and receives regular training? Don\u2019t just check the agency; check the agent themselves<\/strong> on the NVM or VBO website. Only a registered Register Makelaar<\/strong> is truly bound by these regulations. If they\u2019re not, they don\u2019t have much to lose.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been in real estate for years. I\u2019ve seen all kinds of bidding wars and market manipulations. I\u2019ve learned to be flexible and resilient. But these<\/strong> practices\u2026 these dirty tricks\u2026 they enrage<\/strong> me. This has to stop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s unbelievable how some (large) real estate agencies treat potential buyers. The housing shortage is shamelessly used as a tool to pit buyers against each other and squeeze every last penny out of them. Recently, I was in Leidschenveen with my clients as their buying agent to view a property. There were at least eight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMy Advice to Buyers?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
My Advice to Sellers?<\/strong><\/h4>\n