Question for a real estate professional

[david_mcmanus]

Let's say that you work for Windermere and are representing a nice couple who are looking for their first home. You show them a few homes, but they're not interested. Then they end up finding a beautiful home in a quiet cul-de-sac that is FSBO. Let's say they found it simply by driving through some neighborhoods on the way home from work. How are you supposed to handle this situation knowing that you probably will not get any commission? The reason I ask this is that the couple in this scenario are some close friends and it sounds like their agent is trying to pull one over on them.

[Robroy]

[EastSider]

<I'm not a real estate professional>

Without a contract in-place with the agent, I thought that the buyer doesn't have to use the agent for a FSBO transaction (or could use a different agent). i.e, there are no legal obligations on either party till they agree to enter into a transaction.

Is that not correct?

[ira s]

Some agents (including Redfin) require that their clients sign a buyers agency agreement, and that agreement might contain language thats ates that the agent is owed a commission if a home is purchased while the agreement is in place, but absent that agreement, your friends don't owe that agent a damn thing.

[Robroy]