What New Jersey Real Estate Agents Should Not Say At A Closing
This comes from a real life experience I have had and a swear I do not know what the New Jersey REALTOR was thinking when he/she said this. I do know that it was one of the worst things that could be said in front of buyers from outside of the United States.
My impression of what people from outside of the United State think of this country is, that the US is full of violent crime and that everyone experiences it at some point in their lives. We all know that this is not true, but this is my perceived view of what people from other countries think of us.
So I was at a real estate closing with my home sellers attorney, and the home buyers attorney, the buyers REALTOR and the home buyers of course are all sitting in the conference room with the door to the conference room wide open, so we can hear everything that is being said in that conference room. All of the sudden the buyers had a question about the alarm system in the house, and who should they call to activate it right away. The home buyers REALTOR chimes in and says, oh you don’t have to hurry, I still have not hooked up my alarm system, and I have not had a problem. He/She continues by saying, even after the guy across the street from me was kidnapped and murdered I did not feel like the alarm was needed.
Now to this everyone who was not in the room just winced and wondered out loud, he/she did not just say that did they? I still cannot believe a New Jersey REALTOR would even talk about such a thing in front of any home buyer, let alone home buyers who are moving here from another country.
New Jersey Real Estate Agents should know better than to say anything so shocking, be it true or not true, it is just not a good subject to talk about, and possibly could be viewed as a violation of ethics to be talking about crime in specific neighborhoods. I know that everything I have learned in the five years I have been a full time REALTOR has taught me never to say such things. Being a New Jersey Real Estate agent comes with some things that just are not to be talked about.
James Boyer
New Jersey REALTOR
RE/MAX Properties Unlimited
973-539-6300 Office
973-647-0253 Direct
For more New Jersey Real Estate news visit the NJ Real Estate Blog
16 Responses to “What New Jersey Real Estate Agents Should Not Say At A Closing”
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August 19th, 2008
Good information! Thanks. Being a new realtor I need all the advice I can get. But this seems to me to be a no-brainer…any realtor should know better than this. Thanks! Carolyn
August 20th, 2008
Thanks for sharing a good post. I truly admire those people who pass out their knowledge to help out beginners.
August 22nd, 2008
Thank you both for commenting. You are both very welcome to comment on any of the articles posted here. I am still amazed at what the New Jersey REALTOR said at the closing table.
August 23rd, 2008
WOW! Are you kidding? I can’t believe the actions of some Realtors out there. In these tough times, I hope we weed out all of these agents. It’s time for our industry to have meaning to people again. Thanks for sharing.
August 25th, 2008
Heh, simply amazing. Obviously they are experts on a lot of things like home security, crime stats, etc. You’d think they would learn to become an expert at keeping their mouth closed.
We had one closing where a person was sitting at the closing table and asked the other principle if they could come visit the home once a year after. The other party asked why. And they responded because of the graveyard out back. [That no one knew about.] Fortunately, it turned out to be a “guinea pig graveyard” - but still, its not exactly the sort of thing you like to see get brought up at closing.
August 25th, 2008
Yes, it is totally amazing what people thing is appropriate to say at a real estate closing.
August 27th, 2008
I would hope that the REALTOR was being sarcastic, but that definitely is not the right thing to say at a closing. Nice post, and a good tip for all agents to remember - don’t talk about death at a closing! Lol!
August 27th, 2008
That is amazingly stupid. I have a similar story but not near as shocking. I’ll tell it anyway. I was at a closing this year and heard the dumbest thing ever said by a mortgage lender during a closing.
My buyer’s had their own mortgage rep and just as they were about to sign the papers at closing, their mortage rep looks at his blackberry and says outloud, “Wow, mortgage rates have REALLY dropped today!” The buyers stopped signing and looked like they were going to get sick. Everyone in the room looks at the mortgage guy and he starts tap dancing around saying things like, “well we couldn’t have unlocked anyway” and “we’ll refinance you for free”. I couldn’t believe it.
August 31st, 2008
My theory is that real estate agents should not say ANYTHING other than customary pleasantries. Just stay out of the closer’s way and let him or her get’r done.
September 6th, 2008
Unbelievable, Jim! Clearly the other agent was NOT thinking.
September 8th, 2008
OMG - diahrea of the mouth and sales don’t go hand in hand. Not a very smart agent.
September 8th, 2008
Yes, it is beyond belief that a real estate agent would say such things in front of their clients when they are just about to sign the closing papers, or any other time for that matter. A real estate sales person “REALTOR” should know much better than to say anything like this in any situation or in front of anyone.
September 10th, 2008
Oh my….I cringed just reading the story. I normally don’t do a whole lot of talking at closings, letting the escrow officer and the Buyer(s)/Seller(s)legal representatives (if present) handle as much of the questions asked!
September 10th, 2008
Some agents are just looking for a lawsuit. I can’t imagine why an agent would say something like this. WOW!
September 10th, 2008
Hehe, Like I said Deb, I almost fell off the couch I was so stunned by that comment. Why anyone would put that out there is shocking, let alone a REALTOR doing it.
September 14th, 2008
Holy cow! I can’t imagine how anyone can lack the common sense to think saying something like this is acceptable. I heard an interesting feature on NPR the other day about American action films, and how it gives people from other countries who have never been here the impression that we drive around chasing each other in cars and shooting each other out all the time. Anyway, I can’t imagine having the guy across the street kidnapped and murdered and NOT getting an alarm system, let alone telling this to home buyers new to the area! Bad move, for sure.