Is it OK to work with more than one realtor?

Question

I'm a first-time home buyer, and trying to follow proper home-buying etiquette. I've gotten mixed messages about whether it is OK or not to work with two realtors at once. Some have told me it is so long as you keep track of which realtor showed which property. That way, if you end up purchasing, the correct realtor is compensated. I've not signed any exclusive contracts with any realtor. I have two that I like. Both are helpful, professional, etc.
So, what is considered proper within the industry? Is it OK as long as I make sure both realtors realize I'm working with another agent as well? Some people have told me that realtors know customers might be working with others, and it's not a big deal.
I'm trying really hard to not step on anyone's toes and I've gotten too many conflicting answers so far. Please help!

Answer 1

It is acceptable to work with more than one realtor, but it's not necessarily in your best interest. Neither of them will feel at all secure that their efforts will result in earning a commission after putting in substantial work. Hence, you may not get the level of attention from either of them that you would get if you selected one and stuck with that person.

As a realtor myself, I know the feeling if I am advised that I am not the sole realtor involved. I tend to give my better levels of attention and service to those whom I am assured will end up getting me a commission for what I have done.

Answer 2

It sounds like you are trying to be fair, which is very considerate of you, but why do you feel you need more than one realtor? Is it a time issue, busy schedule, or difficult arranging time with the realtor?

Here's a tip that worked for us. I wanted to be proactive, so I used realtor.com to find several homes, then my hubby and I would drive by and check out the home & neighborhood. If it looked good, I'd put it on my "agent list" so I could have my agent make an appointment and view inside the home. But most homes were eliminating just by doing this preview process. And it saved time for both my hubby and I, as well as our agent. No sense looking inside 40 or 50 homes when you can view only the ones you're most interested in.

Also, if you work w/ more than 1 realtor, they might not work as hard for you, or invest as much of their time & effort on you if they think you'll going to buy w/ another agent... they'll focus on more sincere clients.

Answer 3

Most of these answers are from realtors who of course would rather have you commit to just one realtor. There is nothing wrong with using multiple realtors. They won t know if you re using multiple realtors and if they are truly listening to what you are looking for then they will find you the property you want. I was using 1 realtor and she kept sending me houses that were missing so many of the must haves that I told her (easy stuff, sq footage, # of bathrooms) so I let her keep sending stuff but I m clearly not going to trust just her, so I found another one. I am also doing a ton of the leg work myself online. Rarely will they show me a property that I haven t already seen online myself.

Answer 4

Being a Realtor I'd have to say no, I'd work with the one who understands and is listening to your needs. As you said, what if one shows you a home that the other already showed you? Besides you shouldn't have a buyers contract with two agents. You could put yourself in jeapordy of paying a commission somewhere along the line.

In today's market, which is starving some of us, we work so hard to market homes and please our clients to a fault. Example, I have one client with 2 dogs and 2 cats and for every showing I drive to the house and put the animals in the kennel, and when the showing is over, I go back and let them out. We work hard for our clients.

Please be fair, and work with one or the other but not both. I'm sure both are counting on making some money by selling you a house and it gets tough when you do all the work and then the buyers doesn't buy or moves on, or whatever. As emotional as it is for the buyer or seller, it as much so for the Realtor.

Answer 5

I noticed that many of the respondents are agents themselves, so I wrote this and cut and pasted it to many of the responses to let them know how a buyer feels.
I looked at a short sale with a realtor and liked it so much that I put $3,000 down as earnest money. The bank dragged their feet while all the time I was looking on line for another property. I found another one and again it was a short sale. This time it went through quickly. We purchased the home with no problem. When we wanted to buy a third home (buying houses for our kids), we contacted the same realtor and I think he just thought we were “looking” and weren’t serious buyers since we just bought one cash.
We found a new realtor, and when we told them what we were looking for, a single family house, we were sent many leads for town houses and condos in bad areas.
We found a new realtor and asked him to show us a house that I found (again, I found) on line and we liked it and put $2000 earnest money down. It was another short sale and we have been waiting 5 months for bank approval.
We won’t be buying anymore houses after this one, so this is a lesson learned too late. Here it is:
FIND YOUR OWN LISTINGS ON LINE. USE SITES SUCH AS REDFIN OR ZILLOW. LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL LISTING AGENT OR SELLING AGENT. LOOK THE AGENT UP ON LINE AND TELL THEM YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ONE OF THEIR LISTINGS. DO THAT FOR EVERY HOUSE YOU FIND YOURSELF AND USE THE LISTING AGENT ONLY!! IF YOU END UP BUYING THE HOME, THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES. FIRST, YOU ARE DEALING WITH ONLY ONE AGENT AND THEY REPRESENT BOTH YOU AND THE SELLER…NO MIDDLE MAN. SECOND, YOU CAN ASK FOR A DISCOUNT ON THE AGENT FEES SINCE THE AGENT WILL GET FEES FOR BOTH SELLING AND LISTING THE HOME. THIRD, THE PAPER WORK FLOWS EASILY BETWEEN YOU AND THE SELLER!
If you are finding your own listings, you are your own agent. You are inconveniencing only the listing agent and that is what their job is, paid by the seller, to show you the house. Don’t feel bad!

Answer 6

As long as you haven't signed a contract stating that you will use one realtor exclusively (I wouldn't suggest btw), you're ok. In fact, by using two realtors, you can make sure you're getting the best deal and being shown even more properties. And you're doing the right thing by making sure you compensate the right realtor. Keep up with what you're doing now.

Answer 7

It sounds more like a moral dilemma than a legal one.

In the absence of an exclusive buyer's agreement -- As long as the Realtor that first showed you the house you decide to buy gets his or her commission (automatically happens as a result of them writing your offer) it is no legal problem for you.

However it isn't truly nice or fair to string the commissioned sales agent along if you are not going to use them.

"...do unto others...."

Answer 8

I'm not an agent, but I agree with Acermill's answer. You will get the best results by sticking with one realtor. Remember, while his/her main loyalty lies with the seller (unless you engaged the services of a buyer's agent), he/she will also try to accommodate your wishes as much as possible in order to make the sale. Also remember that he/she has access to all the homes in the Multiple Listing Service, so if you're firm as to what you want in your new home, he/she will find the right one for you.

Answer 9

Remember that unless you, as buyer, have a contract with the real estate agent, the agent works for the seller. So if you work with a couple different agents, they are not obligated to look out for your best interest.

Answer 10

If both agents know you are working with someone else, then I don't think it's a big deal. I'm sure they would prefer you choose just one. It would be more polite, not to mention less confusing if you had just one.