Realtor Reward? {NPR}

ashley_smashley

So a realtor brought a man by to see our rental today...the realtor wanted to know if we were paying a realtor reward if his client rented from us....I stared at him dumbfounded! LoL I told him I had never heard of that, and asked him what the norm was...he wanted $300 from us if his client rented from us!! I guess I could see if I brought the real estate agent on to advertise our home for us...but we didn't know this man from Adam! Is this weird to anyone else??!

ashley_smashley

Yeah me either..but I talked to a realto friend of mine and she said she gets upwards of $700 in San Antonio! @mom2ing

Kimberly4411

i'd say hell no, the people using him should pay, i have never heard of that

caroline8_p

Usually the renter would pay the Realtors .. not the landlord?

ashley_smashley

That's what I thought! That you would pay for the service you used!

captivated

My father was a realtor and the fee comes from the person renting out, not the renters

captivated

It's different for sales because the fees come from the buyers.

Mrs4c

The person renting it out pays a fee out here at least. You also pay them for advertising.

ashley_smashley

@captivated right in sales the fee comes frothree seller bc you are using the realtors services (MLS listing, websites etc). If I as a landlord was using this man to help advertise my property then I would have no problem paying him...bc I would be his client. But we aren't his client...the man he was showing the house to was his client ....so I feel that the person receiving the services (the renter) should pay a fee! ....just seems like highway robbery to me....

ashley_smashley

@mrs4c but I am not the one using his services! He just found my property on the Internet just like any other joe schmoe off the street...I didn't hire him to do a damn thing for me lol....

luvmy5

The person who hired and using the services pays.

YNVTish

It's a onetime rental commission is what hes referring to. I hope this is what he's talking about. He's not saying $300 every month... Is he?

Here in Stockton CA (when the market was much better) they had a $200 rental referral commission. $300 in this market is pretty steep. Plus.. their commission also includes credit checks and background checks and the works.. not just.. Here you go.

ashley_smashley

Ya @ynvtish this realtor is just some random guy that a possible renter got in touch with to show him properties. I have no connection to this realtor. He strictly just wants $300 (from me) for putting his client I touch with my property. He isn't running background or credit checks....lol he is just driving this guy from door to door, and at each house telling the owners that he would like a $300 realtor reward if his client rents from them.

ashley_smashley

@luvmy5 you would think so...but apparently I am looked at to pay... It's completely ass backwards if you ask me...and it really chaps my ass lol

luvmy5

Just talked to my aunt as she has been a real estate broker for 40 years. She said that has been a huge scam and if anyone were to pay it would be the person who hired whether it be the renter or owner. But, apparently this has been a huge scam recently along with people renting houses they do not own.

ashley_smashley

See I knew I wasn't crazy! It makes me irritated! @luvmy5 thanks for the info!!

CristinaLynn

@ashley_smashley ...you absolutely DO NOT owe him anything. You do not want his services, nor did you ever sign anything. If that guy rents from you, he still couldn't charge you a fee...that's a BIG scam if you ask me!! You should play along, find out where he works and call the police.

sehra4177

Yeh, I'd say they are getting desperate bc realtors are feeling the economy. I've never heard of this either. Why would you pay someone a fee if you aren't associated with them? I bet a ton of people do tho not even knowing they don't have to.

nameless

Pay me $300 and I'll rent your casa!

luvmy5

You're welcome. I so happened to talk to her right after this, so I asked. She said a lot of people are advertising online they have a home for rent, rent it out, get the money & then later on the tenants get kicked out & find out the people who rented to them were not the owners! The other scam is these realtors trying to make money for this very thing you are talking about. Some are legit, but like she said, if they were that great they would not be asking you to pay them. That is so unprofessional. Also, some realtors have been scamming pekple to pay from both parties -- the people who actually hire them and the other party involved. Bullcrap! But, you absolutely have no obligation whatsoever to pay this idiot.