# Real Estate Law: Does The Seller Have Any Say in Who Buys the Property?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-law-does-the-seller-have-any-say-in-who-buys-the-property/610123>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 20, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-law-does-the-seller-have-any-say-in-who-buys-the-property/610123 "2012-01-20T12:59:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-law-does-the-seller-have-any-say-in-who-buys-the-property/610123/41 "2012-01-25T05:40:08Z")

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> [@ticker](#):
>
> Is it mandatory to involve a realtor in the US? My friend here in the UK just sold a property she inherited to a family we met through different means, thus avoiding a huge commission fee.

What is “huge” by UK standards may be tiny by US. When I sold my house in the UK I paid a commission of 1.25% The norm in the US is about 6%

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**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-law-does-the-seller-have-any-say-in-who-buys-the-property/610123/42 "2012-01-25T06:10:26Z")

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> [@Dufus](#):
>
> IF the court rules in their favor, the home will belong to them, for free.

I imagine that at best, you might be able to sue for something like specific performance. I looked into that concept when (as a buyer) I had a signed contract, financing in place, etc. and the seller was having trouble coming up with their closing costs.

All that means (in my layman’s reading) is the court will force the seller to “perform” the contract, in other words, to hand over the property for the amount previously agreed on. Not for free. Though I’m not sure exactly how you’d sue for it since in the example given you wouldn’t have a signed contract to begin with.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-estate-law-does-the-seller-have-any-say-in-who-buys-the-property/610123/43 "2012-01-25T06:50:14Z")

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> [@Dufus](#):
>
> A home seller may refuse the sale of a home UNLESS the prospective buyer is black or jewish or some other protected class. If they are a protected class, you WILL be sued and have to prove that you did not refuse the sale because of racism. IF the court rules in their favor, the home will belong to them, for free. Don’t ya just love the Civil Rights Act?!

Everybody is a member of a protected class. It’s equally illegal to refuse to sell to white people.

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