# What to do about a bad real estate agent? \[UPDATE\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057 "2014-10-01T04:47:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/61 "2014-10-22T18:27:40Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Technically it’s my wifes house, not mine, and she is not going to give away a 150K house. If we wanted to give it away why would we be angry about the agent not trying to sell it? > > With that said, my friend found out something huge and at the advice of my attorney I should no longer post on this thread for the time being. Please bookmark the thread so you can come back and tell us all about it when it’s all been worked out. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/62 "2014-10-22T19:04:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > “IF” he can get a lawyer to take it on contingency. I could be mistaken, but it’s my impression that lawyers take cases on contingency when a) they see the cause of action as a slam-dunk to win, and/or b) they see the putative defendant as having deep pockets (or a deep-pocketed insurance company). > > It appears to me that **pkbites** ’s real estate agent would be pretty hard-pressed to persuade any lawyer that such conditions exist. The agent and broker probably have errors and omissions or some other liability insurance to cover just this sort of thing. I hope this reaches a fast resolution for Mrs. Bites’ sake, as well as ours. I’d love to find out what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/63 "2014-10-22T19:30:58Z")
Subscribing to get the dirt when it comes out. I’m gonna guess meth lab or some other illicit activity. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/64 "2014-10-22T21:27:24Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’m putting in my vote for it being used as a brothel. Is the agent’s name Walter White? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/65 "2014-10-22T21:38:47Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Is the agent’s name Walter White? I think you meant to quote the other post. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/66 "2014-10-23T12:44:53Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > I agree. At this point, you really should take it off the market for a few weeks, and then list it with a new agent at a different brokerage. Our MLS shows not only Days on Market, but Combined Days on Market, tracked by the property address. It follows through different agents. I’d love to meet the attorney who advised him to turn this into some giant deal. Some people like drama, and some attorneys like running up fees. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/67 "2014-10-23T16:11:05Z")
Wow - hope everything works out quickly and easily, pkbites. That’s a hell of a bombshell, even without any details! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/68 "2014-10-24T14:00:07Z")
I’ve updated my subscription to this thread to include instant email updates. I’m hoping that I’m not notified when it’s me doing the updating. And I hope \*\*pkbites \*\*can tell us WTF, RSN. Here’s hoping it lives up to its mystery and isn’t a sordid little tale. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/69 "2014-10-24T16:53:58Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > With that said, my friend found out something huge and at the advice of my attorney I should no longer post on this thread for the time being. Man, the lawyers ruin everything fun… ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/70 "2014-10-26T13:26:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think you meant to quote the other post. You think aright, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/71 "2014-10-26T15:57:07Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > With that said, my friend found out something huge and at the advice of my attorney I should no longer post on this thread for the time being. When it’s over, please let us know. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/72 "2014-10-26T16:38:52Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > When it’s over, please let us know. Reading between the lines, it sounds like a legal process & with caseload backlog, we’ll be lucky to know the outcome in 18 months. Granted, this is possibly the best case scenario for any zombie thread resurected in 2015 or 2016. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/73 "2015-01-04T11:10:01Z")
Thought I’d bump this to see whether **pkbites** could fill us in yet, or whether his advice from his attorney (post #58) to shut up for now still applied. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/74 "2015-06-24T15:47:09Z")
MODS might want to edit title to include the word UPDATE. After litigation this situation has been settled. On legal advice I can give details without violating the terms of the settlement. I cannot disclose names. Long story short: The agent would disparage homes that he represented owned by people living far away. Because it’s in northern Wisconsin this included many of his clientele. He would let it sit for a long time, make no effort to sell it, in fact disparage the home so it didn’t sell. Then towards the end of his contract his buddy would come along and low ball it. Owners, tired of paying property tax and utilities on an empty house, would accept. Then he and his buddy would flip the house and actually sell it for a huge profit. Investigation showed they did this on several properties over the last few years. Most of them involved out of towners who inherited the property. We were the only ones to send people in and record his shenanigans. Had we not done that we wouldn’t have been able to put an end to this crap. I (my wife, actually) got a pretty good settlement including legal fees, the home being purchased by the reality company for more than what we were selling it for, and a settlement for emotional distress. The agent got his license revoked. (actually he surrendered it first). We’ve bought/sold lots of properties over the last 30 years and have never had anything like this happen to us. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/75 "2015-06-24T15:54:20Z")
Glad it worked out (in the end) for you. A shady real-estate agent can cause a tremendous amount of pain for people. Is there any chance of criminal prosecution? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/76 "2015-06-24T16:10:35Z")
Thanks for the update and glad to hear your situation is finally settled! ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/77 "2015-06-24T16:33:24Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Is there any chance of criminal prosecution? Unfortunately, no. That was one of the things that bugged us. Neither the local DA or the State Attorney General would touch it, insisting it was strictly civil. But we kept meeting with them (we had to force it) for appearances to that reality company. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/78 "2015-06-24T18:56:58Z")
What happens to the other sellers that this guy scammed? Do they get any justice out of this? As the investigation went on and the other scammed sellers were discovered, did those sellers themselves become aware that they were scammed (assuming they weren’t already)? Do they now, at the very least, get the opportunity to sue the agent and his company? ETA: BTW, who conducted the investigation? Did you have to do it yourself (or hire someone) at your expense? Or was it done by the state’s real estate regulatory powers-that-be? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/79 "2015-06-25T01:56:58Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > MODS might want to edit title to include the word UPDATE. > > After litigation this situation has been settled. On legal advice I can give details without violating the terms of the settlement. I cannot disclose names. > > Long story short: > The agent would disparage homes that he represented owned by people living far away. Because it’s in northern Wisconsin this included many of his clientele. > > He would let it sit for a long time, make no effort to sell it, in fact disparage the home so it didn’t sell. Then towards the end of his contract his buddy would come along and low ball it. Owners, tired of paying property tax and utilities on an empty house, would accept. Then he and his buddy would flip the house and actually sell it for a huge profit. Investigation showed they did this on several properties over the last few years. Most of them involved out of towners who inherited the property. We were the only ones to send people in and record his shenanigans. Had we not done that we wouldn’t have been able to put an end to this crap. > > I (my wife, actually) got a pretty good settlement including legal fees, the home being purchased by the reality company for more than what we were selling it for, and a settlement for emotional distress. The agent got his license revoked. (actually he surrendered it first). > > We’ve bought/sold lots of properties over the last 30 years and have never had anything like this happen to us. Would the settlement prohibit you from giving a link to a news story? Thanks for the update, and glad you scored from the fucker. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057/80 "2015-06-25T02:07:15Z")
You fought the good fight and you won. Very good job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-a-bad-real-estate-agent-update/700057.md?page=5)