One common story is when agents over - promise and under - deliver. For example, they say they'll get you a great price for your house, but in the end, you end up with much less than expected. Another is when they don't communicate well. You're left in the dark about offers, showings, etc.
Well, once I had an agent who showed me a house that was completely misrepresented in the listing. It said it had a renovated kitchen, but when we got there, the cabinets were falling apart and the stove was ancient. It was such a waste of time.
One common type is about hidden structural problems. For example, a house might look fine on the outside but has a cracked foundation that the buyer discovers only after purchase. Another type is false advertising. Like when a realtor claims a property has a large backyard but in reality it's just a small patch of grass. Also, there are stories about bad landlords who don't maintain the property or who harass tenants.
One common element is old houses. Old, dilapidated houses often feature in these stories. Another is strange noises. Real estate agents often hear unexplained creaking, whispering or banging sounds. Cold spots are also common, where the temperature suddenly drops in a particular area of the house.
There was a real estate agent who sold a house to a family. Later, it was discovered that the house had a dark past of a murder that had been covered up. The family started experiencing strange occurrences like cold spots and doors opening on their own. The agent was then haunted by guilt and the family's distress, as he had no idea about the house's history before selling it.
Well, in many success stories, specialization is a factor. For example, some agents focus on a particular type of property like condos or historic homes. This helps them build expertise. Additionally, tenacity is common. They don't give up easily when faced with challenges, like a slow market or a difficult client. And communication skills are vital. They need to be able to clearly convey information to clients about properties, prices, and processes.
Another is negligence. For example, they don't do proper research on the neighborhood or market trends. They might price a property too high or too low without good reason. And sometimes they are just lazy. They don't put in the effort to show the property to enough potential buyers or market it well.
There is this horrible real estate story about a person who rented an apartment. The landlord was really sneaky. He would enter the apartment without permission while the tenant was away. One day, the tenant came back to find some of their personal items missing. It turned out the landlord had been going through their stuff and had taken some things. The tenant had to go through a long and difficult legal process to get justice.
One interesting story is about an agent who had a client who was very picky. The agent showed over 50 houses before finally finding the perfect one. It was a small cottage that the client initially overlooked, but the agent knew it had potential. After some renovations suggested by the agent, the client fell in love with it.
I once had a client who seemed really nice at first. But during a property viewing, he started acting really strange. He was asking me really personal questions that made me uncomfortable. And then he started following me a bit too closely as we walked through the house. I got really scared and ended the viewing early. I was so relieved when he left.
One story is about an agent who accidentally locked himself in a closet during an open house. He was yelling for help but no one heard him for hours until the next showing. It was really embarrassing for him.