# Silly etiquette question about realtors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407 "2015-01-09T16:19:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/1 "2015-01-09T16:19:58Z")
I’ve indicated strong interest in several homes in recent weeks. Once I zero in and buy a particular home, is there any reason for me to contact the listing realtors for the other homes and let them know I’m not interested in theirs any longer? It feels polite, but I’m not sure they’d actually care. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/2 "2015-01-09T16:24:05Z")
I wouldn’t, and I’d be they don’t care. You’d just be telling them that someone else just got a commission. Out of curiosity, tho, did you contact individual listing agents for each home you visited? We always worked with a single agent and she took care of contacting whoever she had to in order to arrange visits. ---
**Author:** ![Idilia\_Dubb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@Idilia\_Dubb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idilia_Dubb)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/3 "2015-01-09T16:25:00Z")
Do it. It only takes five minutes to send a group email. It’s a nice courtesy and it might get you off some mailing lists. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/4 "2015-01-09T16:29:50Z")
> [@Idilia\_Dubb](#): > > …it might get you off some mailing lists. You must be joking. RE agents live and die by the length of their marketing string and will keep former clients, even those briefly encountered, on their contact list forever. I still get an annual calendar from one… fifteen years later, with the address updated to a state 3,000 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/5 "2015-01-10T06:40:17Z")
I just got a request to include a realtor (2008) in my LinkedIn (or whatever). I set that up to get a phone number of someone from way back - I don’t use it (disabled and not working since 2001) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/6 "2015-01-10T14:05:22Z")
Nit pick: you should use the term _real estate agent_. All Realtors[sup]®[/sup] are real estate agents. But not all real estate agents are Realtors[sup]®[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/7 "2015-01-10T14:39:42Z")
Why assume all the people I’m talking about aren’t realtors in that sense? ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/8 "2015-01-10T20:22:28Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Nit pick: you should use the term _real estate agent_. > > All Realtors[sup]®[/sup] are real estate agents. But not all real estate agents are Realtors[sup]®[/sup]. Ok, so what’s the difference? And what about a broker, how is a broker different from an agent? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/9 "2015-01-10T20:36:41Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > All Realtors[sup]®[/sup] are real estate agents. But not all real estate agents are Realtors[sup]®[/sup]. I refuse to recognize that level of idiocy. And you misspelled it, it’s actually REALTOR[sup]®[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/10 "2015-01-10T23:17:49Z")
I’m with **Justin\_Bailey**. Except that, technically, it is REALATOR. (It’s more fun that way.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/11 "2015-01-10T23:29:04Z")
> [@Idilia\_Dubb](#): > > Do it… it might get you off some mailing lists. You misspelled “on”. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-etiquette-question-about-realtors/709407/12 "2015-01-11T01:29:21Z")
I know I’m oversimplifying things, but I think the realtors are aware you’re not interested in the property because you haven’t submitted a contract.