Selling a Vacant Home
Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions.
Dear Phyllis,
I reside in La Canada and specifically hired a Seal Beach Realtor who lives close to the home my parents owned. He assured me he would keep a close eye on it because he lived just a few blocks from home. I interviewed three real estate agents and hired this one specifically because I felt it essential to hire a realtor in close proximity when selling a vacant home. I understand the real estate market has changed, and we sold for slightly less than planned. But I don’t blame the agent for that.
When visiting a friend in Seal Beach, I stopped by the home, which I had not seen for about six weeks. There was mud all over the walkway as something was obviously leaking. It looked like this had been going on for a while, and the water bill jumped to over $700. As I paid over one hundred thousand dollars in real estate commissions, I am upset and don’t feel this agent looked after my home as promised. Therefore, I believe my Realtor should be responsible for the water bill. What are your thoughts?
Bill
Dear Bill,
I agree that it was your Realtor’s responsibility to keep an eye on the home. As this was the front walkway, it would be hard to miss. I am curious, though, if you have a gardener. If so, how often he serviced the yard? The gardener also bears some responsibility. He is the one in charge of the landscape and sprinklers. Contact your gardener and find out why he didn’t inform you. Once you have that information, you may decide the Realtor is not responsible.
When selling a vacant home, it’s reasonable to assume that your Realtor will check on the house at least once a week. As inspectors often leave the a/c running or create other issues, most Realtors will check vacant homes after each inspection. Personally, each time one of my team or I visit a vacant listing, we have a form we have developed that we complete. If a problem arises, we know with certainty the last time we were at home.
You might enjoy: How to find a Realtor specializing in trust sales near me
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