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I am SO done with you -  Ending Your Bad Real Estate Relationship

Relationships can go south. Lack of communication tends to be the reason whether it’s a marriage or Real Estate. What can you do when you are ready to divorce your Agent, but your contract has weeks or months to go? You have a legally, binding contract that generally has you tied up. The Agent is invested in selling your property with advertising expenses, business expenses, time and effort.

If you are unhappy with the service that you are getting, obviously, the first step is to talk to the Agent. Outline what you are unhappy about, and listen to the Agent’s defence. Sometimes the thing you are angry about is something the Agent has no control over, only they didn’t explain it well. The process of selling a home is wrought with emotion and challenges, and miscommunication of expectations and outcomes is a key reason why Sellers and Agents fall out.

The big question is, if you can’t salvage the relationship and move forward in a positive way, how do you end it? This is a great question to ask before you sign any agreement, but if it’s already too late, here’s some tips that may help you.

Who Do I Speak To?

If the agent says they will let you out of the contract should you be unhappy, get that in writing. The contract you sign is with the Brokerage, not the individual Agent. The Agent is signing the Listing Agreement or Buyer Representation on behalf of the Brokerage, but does not generally have signing capability to end the Agreement, that falls to the Broker/Manager.  So, if you are unhappy, and you can’t rectify things with your Agent, your next call should be to the Broker/Manager. The Broker/Manager is the one that has to cancel the agreement, and if there is a problem you don’t want to be stuck in an unhappy relationship until the contract ends. Sometimes the Brokerage will let you out of the contract, and other times they may assign you a new Agent from the Brokerage.

I have heard of cases where Sellers were less then honest and wanted out of the contract because they had a private offer to sell their home and didn’t want to pay the commission. If this is why you are trying to get out of the contract you signed, let it be on your conscious. If the Agent or Brokerage has any reason to suspect this is what you are doing, they may dig in their heels.

What’ll It Cost Me?

Again, this is something to ask up front. There are usually no costs, but it’s always best to know for sure. When you realize that the Agent has spent time, money and effort trying to sell your home up to this point, it puts the commission into a different light altogether. If you are really trying to get out and the Broker or Agent doesn’t want to let you, you could always offer to reimburse the Agent for any expenses they have had up to the current time. Showing that you appreciate the time, expense and effort the Agent has expended may help you to negotiate a termination.