First-time homebuyers fire agent after discovering she lied about submitting their offer in a ploy to get more money: 'We could've made a deal months ago'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Sep 16, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

Buying a home sounds exciting at first, but once you're on that journey, you go through a rollercoaster of emotions that makes you wonder if it's really worth it. Unfortunately for this couple, they know this story all too well.

When you hire a real estate agent, you trust them to guide you through the process, especially if it's your first home. So imagine their shock when they found out their agent had been anything but honest. The agent claimed she had submitted their offer on their dream house, but it turned out she had never actually done so. Instead, she was trying to get them to shell out more money by pretending their offer had been rejected.

The truth came out in the most unexpected way when the buyers casually bumped into the actual owner of their dream house. The owner's offhand comment left the buyers stunned. They quickly realized their agent had been spinning a web of lies and that they could have closed the deal months earlier if things had been handled properly. Needless to say, the agent was shown the door faster than you can say "contract breach."

If you're a first-time homebuyer reading this, we don't mean to scare you with this tale. Here, let's lighten the mood with these 22 Homeowner Memes for First-Time Homebuyers Who Finally Made It Out of the Renter Life.

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  • 01
    r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer livefree623 Buyers agent lied
    via u/livefree623
  • 02
    My husband and I recently let go of our buyers agent because she kept asserting her opinions and wouldn't put in offers we wanted. She always put in "verbal offers" aka speaking to the sellers agent and saying "the sellers agent says they won't accept anything less than
    via u/livefree623
  • 03
    There was a house she showed us that had an assumable loan and was listed at 560. It had been on the market for a year. We wanted to offer 450 because the seller was motivated. Our realtor wouldn't put in the offer formally and said she spoke to the sellers
    via u/livefree623
  • 04
    agent and the seller wouldn't accept more than 550k and that the loan wasn't assumable because she had a previous buyer and they were told assuming the loan would end in a 200 day closing. We moved on from that house but kept thinking about it
    via u/livefree623
  • 05
    because it truly felt like home to us and we felt like there couldn't be a better house for us. When we looked up the home again we saw that it was taken off the market (meaning the seller's contract with her real estate agent ended).
    via u/livefree623
  • 06
    My husband and I talked about leaving a note in her mailbox saying "hey, we toured your house and this is what we can offer". My husband was dropping it off and saw the owner of the house sitting on the porch (she was there when we toured the house which I know is unconventional).
    via u/livefree623
  • 07
    They got to talking and she said that her agent never brought her any offers. She didn't say anyone was interested in the house or ask her what the lowest she'd accept is. She said she would've been happy at our offer. She also said
    via u/livefree623
  • 08
    her loan was assumable AND that there was no previous buyer who was quoted a 200 day close. This wasn't the first time our buyers agent lied to us and it's extremely frustrating to know that we could've possibly made a deal with bought this house months. ago.
    via u/livefree623
  • 09
    HUST STAR Far-Collection7085 • 2d ago You need to report that agent. Completely unethical. Unacceptable behavior.
    via u/Far-Collection7085
  • 10
    III-Raspberry-6204 • 2d ago. Report the agent to DRE and brokerage.
    via u/III-Raspberry-6204
  • 11
    Powerful Put5667 • 2d ago Cancel your Buyer Agency contract. She lied. I am sure the seller would be happy to give you a short signed and dated note documenting this. If you do decide to go with that home best to have an attorney draw up the paperwork.
    via u/Powerful Put5667
  • 12
    SnooWords4839 • 2d ago Now if she still wants to sell, use lawyers, no agents!
    via u/SnooWords4839
  • 13
    Much Developmen... • 2d ago Report the agent to the local MLS and her broker. He/she is REQUIRED to submit your offer to the seller. She may advise you. But not refuse to make an offer. This is possibly illegal. But absolutely unethical.
    via u/MuchDevelopment7084
  • 14
    Mindless_Corner_5... • 2d ago She wanted paid, she didnt want to wait for an assumable mortgage. I seen where others have posted it's a lengthy process
    via u/Mindless_Corner_521
  • 15
    i_cant_even . 2d ago Realtor here. The first thing to know is that your agent quite literally works for you. If you tell your agent to do something that is both legal/ethical, they HAVE to do it. They can advise you on the risks of doing it and
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 16
    they don't necessarily have to do it at that very moment (we juggle multiple clients and have personal lives), but they don't get to refuse to put in an offer. If you decide to hire another agent at any point, please don't hesitate to be assertive. It's ok to ask why
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 17
    they are recommending a certain approach, consider whether or not you want to go along with that approach, then direct them to do it your way. Again, it has to be both legal/ethical and we have a fiduciary duty to inform you of potential negative outcomes.
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 18
    But we do not under any interpretation of the law get to unilaterally decide to put in a verbal offer when our client is clearly wanting to submit a written offer. In fact, there's really no such thing as a verbal offer because those aren't legally binding. Offers are only as good as the paper they are written on. It's our duty to explain this and to encourage you to submit a written offer.
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 19
    That's the legal part. There are also market norms to consider. Maybe in your local market it's common for agents to call each other to discuss terms prior to submitting a written offer. It can absolutely make for a better overall experience if I can ask in advance what the seller wants aside from money. My prayer every time I pick up the phone is that I'll get a Chatty Cathy
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 20
    on the other end who will show their hand and give me the info I need to negotiate a better deal for my client. Those conversations are GOLD and well worth the effort. But that's really more of a supplemental conversation that can occur when conditions are favorable. It's rarely a necessity, it's just often helpful. The real
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 21
    conversation is the one you have with the seller by writing a strongly-worded formal invitation (a written offer). When you do that, your agent MUST present it in a timely manner to the listing agent. In turn, the listing agent MUST present it in a timely manner to the seller. If either or both fail to do so, the fines are heavy and licenses can be revoked. It's not a 'slap on the wrist' kind of offense.
    via u/i_cant_even_
  • 22
    Cheezburger Image 10403444480
    via MART PRODUCTION

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real estate agent employee fired job lies fire new homeowners reddit story homebuyer real estate Reddit sleazy offer
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