Is my Realtor upset with me? Am I the problem?

Question

So I’m feeling really bad right now.

I’m a first time home buyer who is interested in buying my first investment property. I love bigger pockets! and all I hear is try to house hack your first property. I’ve been wanting to pull the plug and dive into real estate for the past 3 years now and finally got the courage around March to go look at some properties. I really wasn’t interested in a realtor, just wanted to go look around and shop. Long story short Zillow matched me with a realtor who I have been working with since.

We have looked at a total of 3 properties since March and haven’t put in an offer. A duplex popped on the market that I was really interested in listed for 300,000. It was listed “AS IS No Repairs” and it dropped from 350,000 to 300,000 after sitting on the market for 3 months. I told my realtor I was interested and we scheduled to see the property which we were only able to see one side. It was obvious the house needed major work but still had good bones and charm. Some of the problems I say was foundation, roof, electrical, no driveway and that’s not including cosmetic work for the kitchen and bath. And because it was an older 1930s duplex I was worried about potential lead paint and asbestos. The owner was definitely doing the bare minimum when it came to the upkeep of the house.

I wanted to put in an offer but the price I was willing to offer was a low ball offer. Which my realtor keep telling me, would be disrespectful to the seller. I wanted to make an offer of 255,000 my realtor wanted to offer 288,000. I didn’t think going in with an offer of 255,000 was a big deal since it’s been sitting on market for an additional 2 months and needed some major repairs but I guess I was wrong. We went ahead and put in an offer of 255,000 which my realtor text me stating that the listing agent told him the owner felt it was a bit low and cannot accept it at this time. Which my realtor text me, “This is why I said don’t put in a low offer the seller now doesn’t even want to counter! What would you like to do!” And I responded, “we can either wait or pivot I’m not sure what other options are there”. Which he reply “I guess”.

Up until this point my realtor has been amazing, very high energy upbeat positive energy. He has connected me with an awesome lender. He has been coaching me throughout the process of investing since he owns investment properties himself. And I am grateful for all the time and knowledge he has given me over these past months. But with the shift in his tone and response via text, I’m not sure how to feel. I feel bad because I’ve been extremely transparent with him during this process. And I always would tell him I’m not trying to waste his time.

I really don’t know how to pivot from here. I really don’t know how to respond to the text. I really don’t want to respond because it sounds like he doesn’t want to represent me anymore. But now I’m bonded to him after signing an agreement when putting in the offer.

Am I in the wrong for asking to put in a low ball offer?

Jeff Copeland · Answer

You contradict yourself in your post. You said:

"My realtor has been amazing...He has been coaching me throughout the process of investing since he owns investment properties himself. And I am grateful for all the time and knowledge he has given me over these past months".

But then you also said you asked him to analyze your offer on a property, and then completely ignored his advice. And, as it turns out, he was 100% correct. If anything, this should strengthen your faith in your agent's market knowledge and expertise. But it doesn't sound like that's the case.

As a real estate broker, I've been in this exact situation, where the listing agent flat out told me (in confidence, as a professional courtesy to avoid wasting my time) "The seller just rejected of offer of $285k this morning, so don't waste your time submitting anything lower than that". But the buyer still insisted on submitting a much lower offer. I actually refused and told the buyer he should find another agent, because he was wasting my time.

You said "I always would tell him I’m not trying to waste his time", but you did in fact ignore his advice and waste his time. So it's just human nature for him to be a little annoyed. But that doesn't mean the relationship isn't salvageable (if you want it to continue).

All that being said, going forward it seems you have a couple options:

1. Chalk it up to a learning experience, apologize, and go into future deals with a more realistic attitude. It seems to me that a lot of this could have been solved with an open discussion (if you were willing to listen) prior to even submitting the offer.

If your realtor explained "They just dropped the price by $50k. They are very unlikely to drop it another $45k after only a few days. Something within 5-10% of the new asking price might get us a counter offer. Anything lower is just going to be rejected." That's sound advice and a discussion worth having! Why ignore it?

2. Part ways with your realtor amicably and professionally. It's certainly possible for them let you out of the buyer's agent agreement you signed. Was it for a single transaction, or for a defined time period?

Don't get me wrong: There are plenty of not-so-great real estate agents out there, especially in the investment space, so it's crucial to find the right fit. But once you find a great one, they will save you and earn you far more money (through market knowedge, negotiations, deal sourcing, equity, and profit...and also from the deals they steer you clear of!) than they ever earn in commission!

Dan H. · Answer

I call bs to virtually all these responses. You have seen 3 houses, put in one offer that is rejected and your agent has a tantrum. Too bad for your agent.

Listen to the agent and then do what YOU want. It is your money. If the agent does not want to work with you, there are plenty that will.

Consider using an investor agent. One that knows you may place a dozen offers without getting an offer accepted. my guess is I have seen at least 50 properties since my last purchase yet I have no issue typically getting a top buyers agent in the market to show me properties.

I will go even stronger, if the list of work needed is accurate and the DOM Is approaching the average, $12k under ask is a stupid offer regardless if the seller is going to not accept less. You made the right decision even if $288k is what would have been required to have the seller accept the offer. Your description makes it appear that this should be comped with off market purchases and to comp it via mls purchases would be doing the buyer a disservice.

I further question if your offer was too high at $255k.

Here is an offer, I will wage a lunch at BPCon 2026 in Orlando to first person who accepts the wager that this property will not close at $288k or more within 60 days of today.

@Bridget Johnston you made the right decision regardless if it sells soon at $288k or more (which I think is unlikely). Get an agent that is not so sensitive that they are hurt that your first offer was not accepted.

Good luck

Patrick Roberts · Answer

I would start by analyzing the disconnect between your price and the realtor's recommended price. The fact that this house is sitting at $300k means the market is telling you it's overpriced at that amount given the circumstances. Also, the amount of time that it's been sitting says that the seller isnt super motivated. Neither of these inherently tell you a fair value for the price, though, but it does indicate that lowball offers might be a waste of time.

I would sit down with the realtor and determine where his price point of $288,000 originated from. If this is a fair market value based on comps and other current data, then maybe your expectations are a little too high regarding what you're expecting to get vs what you're expecting to pay. Also, there may be a disconnect between you and the realtor on strategy. If your strategy is to be really aggressive on your returns and pricing and to just spray and pray with lowball offers until you get someone to accept, and this realtor doesnt work with clients using that strategy, then you may not be the right fit for each other. It may also be that your realtor is very experienced and knows the market and knows that what you're expecting isnt realistic. This disconnect needs to be sorted out in a face to face meeting and discussion.

Ricardo R. · Answer

Bridget, no you're not wrong for wanting to get the best deal possible but you are wrong in many other ways. I'm going to approach this clear cut, but just know that I am a Realtor myself now but before I was a realtor I was a homebuyer, and a real estate investor that both used realtors and put in offers myself without a realtor before I got licensed. I became a realtor out of spite, because I depise them so much, but understand the process.

Do you have a real estate license? Do you buy and sell real estate daily? Do you negotiate real estate daily? Do you attend real estate classes regularly? .... OR... Do you merely search on the web? Talk it up to thinking that 'web reasearch' is the same as daily real world no frills experience? -- I'm not attacking you, I'm only highlighting that you hired a professional to help you... yet ironically think you know best when it comes to the actual transaction and process. That would be akin to not knowing anything about medicine, going to the doctor and saying 'you need to fix my issue this way by doing x, y and z and give me this xxx medicine'.

I'm not saying you don't have a say in the matter, it is after all your money and you have a right to decide what you will pay for and how much BUT.... you have hired a real estate agent and a good one at that (you said so yourself) that has given you sound advice, not based on a whim, not based on 'web searches', not based on emotion but based on their... experience (aka why you hired them)... and you decided you knew best. Of course the realtor would be put off by this...that IS wasting his time. Just food for thought.

Jules Aton · Answer

Great question! In general I tend to avoid low ball offers without evidence like not just your concern the foundation is a problem. What is price of comps? How much will it take to bring it up to speed?

Texts are difficult to interpret and it sounds like although you have only seen 3 properties your Realtor has invested a fair amount of time with you over 8 months without a sale. Some will say he is working for you and has to present what you offer regardless of how inappropriate, as he did. I look at it like you hired him to assist you and then disregarded his recommendation. If you went in at his suggestion and the repairs were significant you can always re-negotiate with more skin in the game. Realtor may be fatigued with you which I don't think is unreasonable but it sounds like he has been an asset to you and offered sound advice. I would ask if he recommends re-submitting at $288,000.

Chris Grenzig · Answer

@Bridget Johnston first off, congrats on looking to make the jump and putting in an offer, not many people do that.

Secondly there is nothing ever wrong with low ball offers. It is YOUR money, you need to feel comfortable with what you are offering. However, usually when presenting low ball offers it is usually helpful to have a reason why. If you can come back to them and say I feel the ARV is $350k after repairs and my budget is $50k before closing costs, carrying costs, etc. and I need to make a profit, that's something that is justifiable and a reason at least. Or it could be as simple as that's all I can afford, which is still a reason.

The seller may still say no, but at least there is a though process behind it.

If you don't have that information when submitting an offer, then you might be getting ahead of yourself. Knowing your numbers, what you're looking for, what things will cost ahead of time is key to finding good acquisitions for yourself.

I don't want to speak to much to the agent because it's tough to know exactly what is going on, but at the end of the day it's your money and you can do whatever you want and you can just go direct to the listing agent if you didn't sign an exclusive buyers agent agreement.

Aaron Zimmerman · Answer

I would consider getting a different realtors. It's important for your realtor to push back sometimes and inform you of the market. However the fact that you've seen 3 properties in 6 months says everything assuming you're a serious buyer.

Mike Anderson · Answer

Getting matched with a realtor just off zillow is not the best setup.. Use this website to find one locally that you can work with that is investor specific. Second understand you can negotiate down after you go under contract too. If you are serious you can go under contract at 288k, then let the inspector officially find all the issues then work down from there. This will cost you the inspection, however you are negotiating from a much stronger position then. At the end of the day does this meet the 1% rule or now. What are the rents you could get from each side?

Is my Realtor upset with me? Am I the problem?

Is my Realtor upset with me? Am I the problem?

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