Ethics-Scare Tactic Or Strategy? Denver Investor (not me)doing...

Ethics-Scare Tactic Or Strategy? Denver Investor (not me)doing...

Seth RouchPro Member
Specialist · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 85 posts · 29 votes

There a local Denver investor/wholesaler, not myself, using this strategy to get properties under contract. My wife, real estate agent, noticed that a property she had listed was getting low offers. She’s usually spot on with her comps as we also flip and wholesale etc, also it’s in her client’s best interest. However when viewing these “offers” she notices they came from 3-4 different agents but were in a trust signed by the same investor. An investor I had used once (never again) in the past. These offers all came in $20k under asking, then a few days later by another agent $30k under asking and then the very next day by yet another agent for $40k under asking.

My question to you, BP community- Is this a scare tactic, given the current situation with COVID-19 or is this an investing strategy?

I believe it should be illegal, if it’s not already and I’m just unaware, but especially believe it takes advantage of people in an already fear-filled situation. Your thoughts?

And remember - Please try to keep things positive and not attacking one another. Thanks

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    6y

    well this is why you need a great real estate ( like your wife i am sure is) to protect the sellers in these instances. 

    @Russell Brazil@James Wise@Wayne Brooks    these guys are all pro's  lets see if they will comment.

    although my first thought is its not Illegal. anyone can make an offer for whatever they want.

  • Rockaway, NJ · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6y
    Sounds like an "Unethical Life Hack" I read recently saying you find something on Craigslist you want, then send multiple low ball offers through fake emails. Then you make a reasonable offer, and get it for a low price as the seller is tired of dealing with low ballers or doubts the value of their item. Unethical? I say yes as you're using deception (pretending to be different buyers) to induce someone to make a decision that goes against their own best interests (selling for less than fair market value). I don't think it's illegal, but I wouldn't do business with this person.
  • Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Seth Rouch:

    There a local Denver investor/wholesaler, not myself, using this strategy to get properties under contract. My wife, real estate agent, noticed that a property she had listed was getting low offers. She’s usually spot on with her comps as we also flip and wholesale etc, also it’s in her client’s best interest. However when viewing these “offers” she notices they came from 3-4 different agents but were in a trust signed by the same investor. An investor I had used once (never again) in the past. These offers all came in $20k under asking, then a few days later by another agent $30k under asking and then the very next day by yet another agent for $40k under asking.

    My question to you, BP community- Is this a scare tactic, given the current situation with COVID-19 or is this an investing strategy?

    I believe it should be illegal, if it’s not already and I’m just unaware, but especially believe it takes advantage of people in an already fear-filled situation. Your thoughts?

    And remember - Please try to keep things positive and not attacking one another. Thanks

     I know there are agent regulations against stuff like this and fear mongering etc.....An unlicensed person though, doubtful there's anything illegal about it.

    I see no reason why it should effect the seller. Simple explanation to the seller that some jerk off submitted 3 offers and then you all move on.

  • Russell BrazilBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:

    well this is why you need a great real estate ( like your wife i am sure is) to protect the sellers in these instances. 

    @Russell Brazil@James Wise@Wayne Brooks    these guys are all pro's  lets see if they will comment.

    although my first thought is its not Illegal. anyone can make an offer for whatever they want.

    Nothing wrong with an unlicensed person doing it, but a licensed individual cant do that.  The real question is, are those agents in on it, or are they pawns in the game?

  • Specialist · Member since 2019 · 137 posts · 125 votes
    6y

    @Seth Rouch You should ask your agent if your jurisdiction has any law regarding “good faith and fair dealing covenant”.   If so, then this could be broken by someone using many agents to make multiple offers at once. This is usually used to prevent one person from making many offers on different houses that they would be absolutely unable to fulfill all those contracts at once if they were all accepted.  Since this is the same property, this might not apply but it surely is unethical and believe those agents have a right to know if this is happening.   


    * I am not an attorney, I just happen to know all the best ones *

  • Real Estate Professional · West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2012 · 23k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    6y

    @Seth Rouch @Jay Hinrichs

    Yeah, nothing illegal about low ball offers. I guess they’re shotgunning these progressively lower offers all over the place. Kind of silly to use different agents but showing the same entity as the offeror. 

  • Realtor · Denver, CO · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    I'm pretty sure I've seen this guy's offers. I just ignore them. It's not illegal, but he may be lying to the agents sending the offers. You should tell them that he is using multiple agents as it probably violates his buyer's agency agreement. 

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