I had a similar situation on clients with a home that didn't appraise in Florida....Live and learn and always ask "What could I have done differently?"

First of all, Ron, thank you so much for sharing that experience.  That may have been a difficult thing to decide whther or not to do, but I know I appreciate it.  What I really like is that you looked at the experience objectively and identified the opportunites.  Something we all can have a difficult time doing.  

Again, great advice that I know I will use.

Thank you.

Kathy West

We all learn that communication is the key to our business. I made the mistake to stop advertising for 3 months when I knew I was about to switch companies. I called an ex-girlfriend from High School to tell her I had moved companies and she said, OH I wish I still knew you were in Real Estate I would have listed with you. She thought since the advertising had stopped, I left Real Estate. She knew how tough the business was and has seen so many other fail.

Lesson learned. STAY IN TOUCH

We all have been there and made that phone call or got that email. C is for Communication

Thanks for sharing.  I have learned for as many different personalities I work with, there are just as many ways to mess it up....Unfortunately, I am not always as objective as you right away.  Fortunately, I do learn from my experiences.

Thanks again and I really like these boards.  New or experienced, we are all learning alot!

An excellent story Ron with a valuable lesson.  Thanks for sharing it. Many agents would have found a way to blame the client for this mishap but you appropriately recognize who the professional is here and who must take the lead.  I doubt you'll ever lose another one this way.

Do you have Buyer/agent in your state? That can help prevent this from happening.  We have  it in MO, and it is a great way to protect your buyers and keep their loyality in the right place.

I would have done the same thing as you Ron.  The chance that they would NOT buy that particular home was much greater than the chance that they would.  Win some, loose some.

I guess one option would be to offer to show them the home, but tell them ahead of time that you cannot offer ANY assistance with their purchase because of the listing conditions.  I mean NO help. I told one buyer this, and they stuck with me to buy another home.  The thought of me not getting paid actually made them mad!

I have a similar situation right now. We had been talking with some clients over the phone and via e-mail for a few months. We previewed homes for them and sent them additional info and photos of homes that were of interest to them.

During the 3 days that we were in town, we showed them many homes. The wife saw three homes that she definitely would have purchased. The husband found something wrong with every home. When they left, we were looking into information about the house that they both most closely agreed upon.

We spoke via e-mail a few times. Now we hear nothing from them. The silence is eerie. Should I be calling or e-mailing?

I had the same thing happen, out of town buyers bought an assist2sell home. I had showed them houses and they wanted to just drive around the area the next day by themselves and saw an assist2sell listing and called for information and the agent told them they could only see the house with him and no commission could be paid. They told me about it and that they would send me referrals,but the husband really liked the house and put in a contract that day without calling me. I had worked with them for several months emailing and calling. They said they would only use me and I guess you can say they did......... It happens, we get busy and don't know when to be push and when not to. You just have to learn from the experenice and move on..

I had the same thing happen, out of town buyers bought an assist2sell home. I had showed them houses and they wanted to just drive around the area the next day by themselves and saw an assist2sell listing and called for information and the agent told them they could only see the house with him and no commission could be paid. They told me about it and that they would send me referrals,but the husband really liked the house and put in a contract that day without calling me. I had worked with them for several months emailing and calling. They said they would only use me and I guess you can say they did......... It happens, we get busy and don't know when to be push and when not to. You just have to learn from the experenice and move on..

I previously worked out of an A2S office. If your client is truly interested in an A2S Direct listing I recommend speaking to the Broker directly. Chances are that a compensation arrangement can still be made, at least a referral fee. Also, remember that your client can pay your commission.