QUESTIONS? CALL: 360-775-5424

Homes and Land in Sunny Sequim, Washington

Homes and Land in Sunny Sequim, Washington

Sequim's No.1 Buyer's Agent Where Knowledge & Experience Count.

(360) 775-5424
Email: ChuckMarunde@gmail.com

iRealty Virtual Brokers, aka Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate
125 Olympic Ranch Ln, Sequim, WA 98382

  • Buyer Blog
  • Search MLS
    • Sequim MLS
    • Sequim MLS Map Search
    • Port Angeles MLS
    • Port Townsend MLS
    • San Juan Islands MLS
    • All Islands MLS
    • How to Search the Sequim MLS
  • Chuck Marunde
    • Sequim eBook for Buyers
    • The Home Buying Process
    • Youtube for Sequim Buyers
    • Chuck Marunde’s Books
      • Sequim Real Estate for Buyers (Free eBook Updates Forever)
      • Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide (Paperback)
      • Buying & Selling Real Estate in The Rain Shadow
      • Buying Your Retirement Home
      • Escaping California to The San Juan Islands
      • The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home
      • Real Estate From Bricks & Mortar to High Tech Virtuality
      • The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents
    • Sequim Chrome App
    • Sequim Buyer’s Agent
    • Why Retire in Sequim?
    • Sequim Buyer Video Series
  • Contacts
    • Sequim Contractors
      • Mortgage Companies
      • Sequim Home Inspectors
      • Sequim Septic Inspectors
      • Sequim Well Inspectors
      • Sequim Arborists
      • Sequim Painter
      • Sequim Appraisers
      • Sequim Locksmiths
      • Sequim Electricians
      • Sequim Plumbers
      • Sequim Home Builders
      • Sequim Electronics Repair
  • Agents
    • Chuck Marunde
  • FAQ
  • Extras
    • Sequim Home Sales Reports
    • Photos
    • Surveys
      • Survey: Why Did You Choose Sequim?
      • Survey: The Perfect Retirement Area
      • Survey: How Do You Hire a Realtor?
      • Survey: Sequim Methadone Clinic
HireChuck

Is There a Moral Obligation to a Realtor?

by Chuck Marunde / Friday, 08 April 2016 / Published in Buyer's Agent, Hiring Agents

The question today came from a gentleman who asked whether he had a moral obligation to work with a Realtor who had emailed him and talked to him on the phone about some properties. This gentleman clearly is a man of integrity, and it’s honorable that he would have a sense of loyalty to a Realtor. Loyalty is good. Honor is good. But does a buyer (or seller) have a moral obligation to work with a Realtor when he would prefer working with another Realtor? In other words, at what point does a client have a moral obligation to work with a Realtor? How much must a Realtor do to earn that moral obligation?

Moral Obligation

Moral Obligation

A moral obligation does not exist just because someone emails and talks to you, or because they do some research, or even because they show you a few homes. None of that creates a moral obligation. A true moral obligation could be created when someone saves your life, or when someone does something so big that it changes the course of your life in a positive way. In less dramatic ways that moral obligation can be created at some point in a relationship, but where is that point with a Realtor?

If you have not signed a Buyer’s Agency Agreement with a Realtor, you have no contractual obligation. [Never sign a Buyer’s Agency Agreement.] That’s the law. Judges have also ruled that just talking, emailing, or driving around and looking at houses does not create a binding agency relationship. At the core of the legal analysis is whether there is a moral obligation.

You do not create a moral obligation with one phone call to an agent, nor with two or even 10 phone calls. Nor does one or a dozen emails create any kind of obligation. The Realtor owes you nothing, and you owe the Realtor nothing at that point. Realtors answer hundreds of emails and phone calls throughout the year to clients all over the country, and Realtors understand that is part of the business, but it certainly creates no moral obligation for anyone. 

Moral Obligation with a Realtor

Now suppose you have talked to a Realtor for a long time and emailed many times, and the Realtor has done many favors for you during the past six months or a year, such as taking additional photos of listings with insufficient photos, previewed a number of homes for you before you could arrive in Sequim, and perhaps he has incurred some costs sending your printed information in the snail mail. What we have here is a Realtor who has demonstrated a commitment to you with his own precious time on many occasions, and with his own money. He has clearly proven that he is willing to earn your trust, and if you have come to the conclusion after many phone calls and emails that he is competent, professional, trustworthy, and looking out for your best interests above and beyond, then there is some kind of moral obligation at that point.

Let’s take this a step further. Suppose a Realtor does all of that, but you learn that this Realtor is not so competent, or that she is not very professional, or perhaps you come to the conclusion that she has not been entirely upfront with you. In such a case, if you ever did have a moral obligation to her, she has effectively terminated that obligation. 

The first obligation on your part is to protect yourself and your spouse by making wise financial decisions, and that includes who you hire as a Realtor. So here’s a rhetorical question for you. Why would you hire any Realtor but the best one you could find after you have done your due diligence? There’s a lot at stake when you buy or sell a home–mostly your money, your liabilities, and your stress and happiness. Do not underestimate the importance of hiring the right Realtor, or avoiding hiring the wrong Realtor.

What is peace of mind worth to you? Do not create an artificial moral obligation when none exists. You have the right to hire the best Realtor you can find, and that’s the truth. If the first Realtor you communicate with is not “the one,” then find and hire the best. End of story. Some kind of artificial moral obligation should not become your ball and chain.

Possibly Related Posts:

  • Chuck Marunde Shares Personal Note
  • How Does a Buyers Agent Work?
  • Sequim Real Estate Market
  • Exclusive Buyer’s Agent – The Most Experienced in the Northwest
  • How Can a Buyer Find a Home in Sequim?

Google+
  • Tweet
Tagged under: Buyer's Agent

About Chuck Marunde

After practicing real estate law for 20 years in Washington, Chuck opened iRealty Virtual Brokers covering the Sequim and the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. Chuck is the author of numerous magazine and Internet articles with a primary focus on real estate. He is also the author of over a dozen books, mostly about Sequim real estate. Chuck is a photographer, videographer, and Registered FAA Drone Pilot. Chuck has combined his love for real estate and technology to create a growing Internet presence in his market, and enjoys building his websites and blogs, including SequimBlog.com and Sequim4Sale.com and LuxuryWaterViewHomes.com. Chuck has degrees in Economics, Law, and Education.

1 Comment to “ Is There a Moral Obligation to a Realtor?”

  1. Mary O'Neil says :Reply
    April 15, 2016 at 7:49 am

    This is a very difficult question to answer, and I think it would be much easier if more people knew how agents were paid, and that they’ll often spend dozens of hours working for people. I believe most agents have had at least one situation where they put in a lot of work for a buyer or seller who then uses another agent.

    Has anyone worked with a contract which allows them to be paid hourly for their work in the event that the buyer works with a different agent? I’ve heard about it from some other agents, and almost feel like it should be made ‘the norm’ so that buyers don’t need to worry about moral obligation, but agents can be protected

    Mary,

    That’s an interesting idea, and I like it because it is based in the fundamental concept of fairness. We all want to be fair, but the challenge is in the details. For example, I think that Realtors who sit down with a client for the first time and ask them to sign a Buyer’s Agency Agreement, or any kind of contract for compensation, are going to offend 99% of all clients. I think we are in a business where a Realtor needs to prove himself/herself, and that just takes time for clients to evaluate.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments links could be nofollow free.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Chuck E. Marunde, J.D.

Sequim Buyer's Agent
(Atty Ret.)
Founder and Broker of
Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate dba iRealty Virtual Brokers
125 Olympic Ranch Ln,
Sequim, WA 98382
(360) 775-5424
ChuckMarunde@gmail.com

Blog Articles by Date

From Los Angeles

It's rare, but once in awhile life provides the perfect collaborator for an important endeavor such as buying your new home. For me that person was Chuck Marunde. His two decade background as a Real Estate Attorney, his prolific career as an author of articles and books on Real Estate and his forthright and moral character made choosing Chuck a no-brainer. Chuck is dedicated, thorough, incredible at the negotiating table, knowledgeable about all local laws & regs but, most importantly, Chuck loves what he does. And what he does is find his client the perfect property. Chuck isn't about making the sale, he's about making the sale that is OPTIMUM for his CLIENT and this makes Chuck a rare bird indeed. I love my new home in Sequim and I am indebted to Chuck for making it happen. Kevin E.

From Seattle

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chuck over the past three years in selling my parent's estate. It was a tough time to sell during the housing recession, but Chuck always kept things on the positive side. With his real estate law background, he offers sound, practical advice. He helps you along with the process using discussions and reason, rather than opinions and speculations. If Chuck doesn’t know the answers, he will get them for you. In several instances, Chuck took the initiative to meet with county officials to get up-to-date facts about zoning and regulations. I was always impressed with his company’s tech savvy communi-cations and internet presence: weekly email updates, blogs, videos, links, Linked-in networking, etc. He is truly pioneering the future of buying & selling real estate. Brian M.

From California

"Andy Romano is a successful motion picture character actor with over 40 years in 'the Biz.' Mr. Romano has a home in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, but he chooses to live most of the time in Sequim, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula in the great Pacific Northwest. Why? In his own words, 'Because it's even more beautiful and surrounded by more beauty in this incredibly peaceful and quiet place. With respect to real estate agents or brokers, well my friend Chuck Marunde, owner of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate, is hands down the best there" Andy R.

Intro by Chuck Marunde

From Florida

We do our homework for the task at hand and we look for and expect to enlist partners that do the same. It was our good fortune to select Chuck Marunde of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate to represent us as a buyer's broker in our search for a home in the Sequim/Port Angeles area. Chuck's site is all encompassing and super fast compared to many others, he knows the market at every conceivable level and his guidance through the process of selecting and purchasing a home is priceless - above and beyond that of anyone with whom we have ever worked. Add to all this his 20 year background in real estate law and you have discovered a superb asset in the adventure of purchasing a home. Greg and Marilyn

Hire Chuck Marunde as Your Buyers Agent Now

Schedule Chuck as Your Agent in Advance to Be Sure He Will Be Available.

  • GET SOCIAL
Homes and Land in Sunny Sequim, Washington

© 2006-2020 All rights reserved. Chuck Marunde and iRealty Virtual Brokers.

See Our Privacy Policy

See Our Terms of Service

TOP