Where readers ask and we (the community) try to answer:
Earlier this year I looked at a property with a partner and traded a few emails with another agent who I had worked with on a home purchase in the past. He provided cursory input on comps, reviewed a very preliminary design, but I always got the feeling that he had better things to do. The service just wasn’t there.
So the question is:
How do you effectively replace an agent/broker on a deal before an offer is made? Are there commission issues and hidden costs which need to be addressed?
We’re assuming you are being represented as a buyer? If that is the case, unless you signed a specific “buyer’s broker agreement” or something of the sort you can simply walk away. There shouldn’t be any hidden costs or commissions. The agent may try to get something out of you or the other agent in the way of “referral fees”, but unless there is an agreement in writing, you can pretty much walk away. You might tell them you’re walking away out of courtesy (emails work, phone calls are better), but that is up to you.
Good luck!