Monday, March 20, 2023
Chuck Marunde, J.D., Broker/Owner 360-775-5424


iRealty Virtual Brokers


Broker/Consultant

Washington State

SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • 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
  • Videos
    • Sequim Videos Q&A
    • Buyer Videos Part 1
    • Buyer Videos Part 2
    • Buyer Videos Part 3
    • Buyer Videos Part 4
    • Living in Sequim Video Channel
  • Books
    The Coming Real Estate Crash

    The Coming Real Estate Crash

    The Sequim Real Estate Trilogy

    The Sequim Real Estate Trilogy

    Sequim Real Estate Videos for Buyers: The Ultimate Video Guide for Sequim Washington

    Sequim Real Estate Videos for Buyers: The Ultimate Video Guide for Sequim Washington

    Escaping California to the San Juan Islands

    Escaping California to the San Juan Islands

    Get Healthy

    Get Healthy: Increase Natural Immunities, Cellular Energy, Deep Sleep & Decrease Blood Pressure

    Manage Your Energy

    Manage Your Energy Not Your Time

    Real Estate Brokerage From Bricks and Mortar to High Tech Virtuality

    Real Estate Brokerage From Bricks and Mortar to High Tech Virtuality

    7 Myths of Selling Your Home

    7 Myths of Selling Your Home

    Buying Your Retirement Home

    Buying Your Retirement Home

    The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents

    The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents

    Sequim Real Estate For Buyers: Free eBook Updates Forever

    Sequim Real Estate For Buyers: Free eBook Updates Forever

    24 Secrets of Buying a Country Home

    24 Secrets of Buying a Country Home

    Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide

    Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide

    Living Off The Grid iin Alaska

    Living Off The Grid in Alaska

    Buying and Selling Real Estate

    Buying and Selling Real Estate

    Trending Tags

      • Sequim Real Estate for Buyers (Free eBook Updates Forever)
      • Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide (Paperback)
      • Escaping California to The San Juan Islands
      • Buying & Selling Real Estate in The Rain Shadow
      • Real Estate From Bricks & Mortar to High Tech Virtuality
      • The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home
      • Buying Your Retirement Home
      • The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents
    • Agents
      Marunde Google

      Chuck Marunde on Google

      Flat Fee Listing Broker

      Flat Fee Listing Broker

      Buyers Agent Chuck Marunde

      Buyer’s Agent Chuck Marunde

      Trending Tags

        • Buyers Agent Chuck Marunde
        • Flat Fee Listing Broker
        • Google Profile & Leave Reviews
      Tetralogy
      No Result
      View All Result
      • Login
      • Register
      • Home
      • 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
      • Videos
        • Sequim Videos Q&A
        • Buyer Videos Part 1
        • Buyer Videos Part 2
        • Buyer Videos Part 3
        • Buyer Videos Part 4
        • Living in Sequim Video Channel
      • Books
        The Coming Real Estate Crash

        The Coming Real Estate Crash

        The Sequim Real Estate Trilogy

        The Sequim Real Estate Trilogy

        Sequim Real Estate Videos for Buyers: The Ultimate Video Guide for Sequim Washington

        Sequim Real Estate Videos for Buyers: The Ultimate Video Guide for Sequim Washington

        Escaping California to the San Juan Islands

        Escaping California to the San Juan Islands

        Get Healthy

        Get Healthy: Increase Natural Immunities, Cellular Energy, Deep Sleep & Decrease Blood Pressure

        Manage Your Energy

        Manage Your Energy Not Your Time

        Real Estate Brokerage From Bricks and Mortar to High Tech Virtuality

        Real Estate Brokerage From Bricks and Mortar to High Tech Virtuality

        7 Myths of Selling Your Home

        7 Myths of Selling Your Home

        Buying Your Retirement Home

        Buying Your Retirement Home

        The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents

        The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents

        Sequim Real Estate For Buyers: Free eBook Updates Forever

        Sequim Real Estate For Buyers: Free eBook Updates Forever

        24 Secrets of Buying a Country Home

        24 Secrets of Buying a Country Home

        Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide

        Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide

        Living Off The Grid iin Alaska

        Living Off The Grid in Alaska

        Buying and Selling Real Estate

        Buying and Selling Real Estate

        Trending Tags

          • Sequim Real Estate for Buyers (Free eBook Updates Forever)
          • Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide (Paperback)
          • Escaping California to The San Juan Islands
          • Buying & Selling Real Estate in The Rain Shadow
          • Real Estate From Bricks & Mortar to High Tech Virtuality
          • The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home
          • Buying Your Retirement Home
          • The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents
        • Agents
          Marunde Google

          Chuck Marunde on Google

          Flat Fee Listing Broker

          Flat Fee Listing Broker

          Buyers Agent Chuck Marunde

          Buyer’s Agent Chuck Marunde

          Trending Tags

            • Buyers Agent Chuck Marunde
            • Flat Fee Listing Broker
            • Google Profile & Leave Reviews
          No Result
          View All Result
          iRealty Virtual Brokers
          No Result
          View All Result
          Home Real Estate Agents

          Real Estate Referrals – Blessing or Curse?

          Chuck Marunde by Chuck Marunde
          September 6, 2019
          Reading Time: 4 mins read
          0 0
          0

          Real estate referrals can be a blessing, but did you know a referral can also be a curse?  It’s true.  Let me “make the point as delicately as I can,” as the Russian Ambassador said in the movie Red October.  Everyone has a friend, right?  Every accountant, every lawyer, every doctor, and every real estate agent has friends.  Friends will freely give real estate referrals, right?  But where is the filter protecting you from getting referrals to someone less than qualified?  People hand out the name of a friend or an acquaintance they don’t really know professionally to other people all the time.  But accepting a referral without your own careful research could turn into a well intentioned curse.

          Real Estate Referrals

          Real Estate ReferralsA gentleman hired a real estate agent just because he/she was in his circle.  Circle in this context can be any group, association, club, union, political affiliation, gym, company, non-profit, or even a church.  It turned out his agent didn’t have the experience to deal with what turned out to be a difficult client, a negotiation that required advanced skills, and complex due diligence issues that had to be addressed diplomatically.  The transaction was on the ropes several times.  Had it not been for an experienced professional agent on the buying end of the transaction, the transaction would never have closed.  The seller simply hired an agent referred to him, and the only filter was that he and the real estate agent were in the same “circle.”  He did no other due diligence on his agent.

          Now let’s pause for just a second, because there’s a lot of money at stake here–yours.  If you only have one filter, one qualification for selecting a real estate agent, and that one filter is he/she belongs to your club or association or gym or church or whatever, that’s no filter at all.

          If the only filter is a referral from someone you know who knows a real estate agent, then where is the filter protecting you?  Where is the filter for important things like real estate education, real estate negotiating experience, experience in marketing and sales, experience in legal issues, knowledge and experience of due diligence items, experience in handling difficult and numerous real estate issues, honesty and integrity, availability, and other relevant qualifications.  Granted, if the person giving you the referral already did all this due diligence to protect you, that would be great, but in 95% of the real estate referrals I’ve seen in several decades, this is not happening.

          Real Estate Referrals a Curse?

          A couple hired an agent to list their property, but after a year of nothingness, no activity, almost no communications, and virtually no marketing of their listing, they let the listing expire, very disappointed.  Their real estate agent was a referral from an acquaintance.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard stories of nightmares, and they were the result of real estate referrals that turned into curses.

          Real Estate Referrals – Plus Your Own Due Diligence

          Next time someone gives you the name of a real estate agent as a referral, write the name down, but do your own due diligence back home at the computer.  Please, for your own sake, do not blindly accept real estate referrals without doing your own research to protect yourself.  In an earlier article about real estate referrals, I wrote this:

          Consider this.  You spend $300 at a doctor’s office, and you expect that doctor to have University degrees and advanced medical degrees and a long internship, plus you also want a senior doctor with many years of experience.  When you see a dentist, you also expect him to have 18+ years of education and a lot of experience, and you expect all that even if you are only spending a couple of hundred dollars.  We expect and demand that our kindergarten teachers have four year degrees and state certification before we even let our children into that classroom.  So when you invest your life savings or several hundred thousand dollars in your retirement home, shouldn’t you demand that your real estate agent have a relevant education and the experience that will protect you and help you meet your goals?  Finding and hiring a good real estate agent ought to be high on your due diligence checklist.  There’ s a lot at stake and you are the one who stands to lose if anything goes wrong.

          If you would like to read more about what a qualified agent looks like, read What Defines a Good Real Estate Agent and Buyers Want Qualified Real Estate Brokers.  Here’s a rhetorical question for you.  Why wouldn’t you hold your Realtor to the same high standards you hold other professionals you hire?

          This is probably one of  the most consumer oriented real estate sites in the state of Washington.  We share freely, offer insider information that helps consumers, and educate consumers on the major pitfalls when buying and selling real estate.  Many clients have saved tens of thousands of dollars with our advise, not to mention avoiding litigation, reducing stress, and getting transactions closed.  This article about referrals was long over due for consumers.  Next time you need a real estate agent, beware that real estate referrals can be a blessing or a curse.

          Last Updated on September 6, 2019 by Chuck Marunde

          Tags: Real Estate Agentsreferrals
          ShareTweet
          Chuck Marunde

          Chuck Marunde

          Chuck grew up in remote Alaska, graduated from the University of Alaska with a degree in Economics and Teacher Certification, and after teaching high school for two years, went to law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He served four years as a Captain and JAG in the USAF at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. After practicing real estate law for 20 years in Washington, Chuck founded iRealty Virtual Brokers covering Sequim and the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. He is the author of 2,200 real estate articles and a dozen real estate books, and he produced over 100 real estate videos. Chuck combined his love for real estate and technology to create a massive Internet presence, and his articles and videos and books have been viewed by millions. Chuck is a well recognized real estate expert and his counsel is sought by other brokers and practicing attorneys around the country. Buyers from New York to Hawaii and from Florida to Alaska seek him out to retain him as their buyer's agent, and home owners around the State of Washington seek him out because of his new Flat Fee Listing Service. 

          Related Posts

          Real Estate
          Sequim Real Estate

          Sequim Real Estate Books

          May 11, 2020
          2
          Real Estate Agents

          Games Real Estate Agents Play

          September 6, 2019
          216
          Real Estate Agents

          Real Estate Broker Way Out in Front

          September 7, 2019
          1
          Real Estate Agents

          Where is the Adult Supervision in Real Estate?

          September 7, 2019
          0
          Real Estate Advice
          Real Estate Agents

          Beware Bad Real Estate Advice

          September 28, 2019
          2
          Real Estate Broker
          Real Estate Agents

          How Old Should My Real Estate Broker Be?

          September 27, 2019
          1
          Next Post

          Bidding Wars for Homes?

          3D Virtual Tours: What About Privacy and Security?

          Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

          I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

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

          "I wish I read this before selling my
          home. I could have saved $50,000." Andy 

          Search 2,200 Articles by Category

          • Trending
          • Comments
          • Latest
          Buyer and Seller

          What if a Buyer and Seller Talk to Each Other?

          August 5, 2022
          Prorate Propane

          How to Prorate Propane at Closing

          August 15, 2015
          Terminate a real estate contract

          How to Terminate a Real Estate Contract

          December 31, 2020

          The Sequim Blue Hole – A Map of Rainfall

          September 1, 2019
          print newspapers

          Print Newspapers Losing Readers to the Internet

          42
          Buyer and Seller

          What if a Buyer and Seller Talk to Each Other?

          32
          FNMA Killing Transactions by Requiring Private Road Maintenance Agreements

          FNMA Killing Transactions by Requiring Private Road Maintenance Agreements

          31

          What Documents Does a Buyer Need to Buy Real Estate?

          24
          Sequim Real Estate Maps and Docs

          Sequim Real Estate Maps and Documents

          February 6, 2023
          Flat Fee Listing Service

          Sellers Chase the Market Down Once Again (UPDATED)

          March 9, 2023
          Sequim real estate market

          Sequim Real Estate Market: Annual Review for 2022

          February 3, 2023
          Seattle Real Estate Market in Decline

          Seattle Real Estate Market in Dramatic Decline

          December 22, 2022

          Subscribe to Chuck 
          Marunde's Newsletter

          Popular Stories

          • Buyer and Seller

            What if a Buyer and Seller Talk to Each Other?

            0 shares
            Share 0 Tweet 0
          • How to Prorate Propane at Closing

            0 shares
            Share 0 Tweet 0
          • How to Terminate a Real Estate Contract

            0 shares
            Share 0 Tweet 0
          • The Sequim Blue Hole – A Map of Rainfall

            0 shares
            Share 0 Tweet 0
          • Dangers of Buying a Fannie Mae Foreclosure Through Homepath

            0 shares
            Share 0 Tweet 0

          Leaving Comments   I hope you’ll join our community and leave comments from time to time. Please realize that comments, if approved, will be public, so do not use any personal information you don’t want broadcast to the world, and definitely don’t leave a phone number. Comments are not the place to ask Chuck Marunde for help in finding a home. To do that, call or text Chuck.

          Neither Chuck Marunde nor iRealty Virtual Brokers offers legal advice on this site. Please Read Our Legal Disclaimer

          If you’d like to view how we protect your privacy, see our Privacy Policy.

          iRealty Virtual Brokers

          iRealty Virtual Brokers reaches out to buyers around the United States with thousands of online articles, MLS sites, apps, real estate books, videos, and much more specifically to help buyers find all the answers to their questions. We also now offer a flat fee commission listing service that saves sellers tens of thousands of dollars.

          iRealty Virtual Brokers
          125 Olympic Ranch Ln
          Sequim, Washington 98382
          360-775-5424

          Search the entire NWMLS in Washington State:

          Sequim-Homes.com

          The largest independent real estate blog in the State of Washington with over 2,200 articles totally focused on our client’s best interest, their needs and their curiosity. All free and 100% reliable. I’m here if you need me, 

          © 2006-2022 iRealty Virtual Brokers and Chuck Marunde

          No Result
          View All Result
          • Home
          • 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
          • Videos
            • Sequim Videos Q&A
            • Buyer Videos Part 1
            • Buyer Videos Part 2
            • Buyer Videos Part 3
            • Buyer Videos Part 4
            • Living in Sequim Video Channel
          • Books
            • Sequim Real Estate for Buyers (Free eBook Updates Forever)
            • Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide (Paperback)
            • Escaping California to The San Juan Islands
            • Buying & Selling Real Estate in The Rain Shadow
            • Real Estate From Bricks & Mortar to High Tech Virtuality
            • The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home
            • Buying Your Retirement Home
            • The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents
          • Agents
            • Buyers Agent Chuck Marunde
            • Flat Fee Listing Broker
            • Google Profile & Leave Reviews
          • Login
          • Sign Up

          © 2006-2022 iRealty Virtual Brokers and Chuck Marunde

          Welcome Back!

          Login to your account below

          Forgotten Password? Sign Up

          Create New Account!

          Fill the forms bellow to register

          *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
          All fields are required. Log In

          Retrieve your password

          Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

          Log In
          This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.