Dear Real Estate Ethicist,
I am a new real estate agent waiting for my first sale. Last weekend, I showed a house to a client who instantly fell in love with the house and is anxious to make an offer slightly above asking price. She was starry-eyed; I was stunned and quite frankly, I think she is overpaying for a fixer-upper on a weird lot that will cost a fortune to repair. I want this first sale so bad I could die, but I am worried about my client. –Worrywart
Dear Worrywart,
Your quandary will go away if you do your job representing your client, including giving her advice she doesn’t want to hear. Your due diligence is important to the buyer, so take the time to point out the defects and recommend that she get a full inspection and a complete estimate of the cost of the repairs. Then do your job negotiating the sale, so she gets the best possible price for the home. Your job is not to get a buyer blindly into a house at all costs. Your job is to represent your client. That is what you are paid for. –Real Estate Ethicist
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