“I lost a commission by being a good guy.
“I sent a buyer to see a property while I was on vacation over the Christmas holiday. I had worked with the client for one month. They were anxious to find a home in our area. They were relos with a sizable business in the community.
“When I got home from vacation there was an email from them. It read, ‘Thanks for sending us to see that new home area. We bought directly from the builder. Drop in some time. We love the place.’ My error. It was the first time I did not require a buyer to sign a buyer’s commission agreement.
“The home they bought was $509,000. Commission lost was 3% of the sales price, $15,270. The lessons learned: (1) Take prospects to see property, (2) Get a buyer’s rep agreement signed before showing them property, (3) When a buyer won’t sign a rep agreement let them use another agent.”
