Had to share this with you guys...

Random Ramblings
1

Email chain between me & a seller I found on Craigslist. I was soliciting for cooperative assignments and after I made my pitch he asked for my “Realtor credentials”…I’ll let you know if he replies. LOL

Hi George, sorry for the delay getting back with you. Is the house still for sale?

I found your ad in the “for sale by owner” section under real estate. Actually I own a real estate investing company chartered as a Maryland LLC; the name of my company is xxxxx, LLC. I’m not a broker or agent which means I can’t sell peoples’ houses for a commission; instead I have equitable interest in all of my deals which does not require licensing.

Is that a problem? Not to knock agents, but being licensed only means someone passed a test and paid a fee; and ironically the test has absolutely nothing to do with selling houses…

Regards,
xxxx
DCAreaHouseBuyers.com
“I’ll Buy Your House By Next Week, Making Your Next Mortgage Payment Your Last!”
Phone xxxxx
Fax xxxxx
Sell your house fast - visit www.DCAreaHouseBuyers.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: xxxx xxxx@comcast.net
Date: Mon, May 9, 2011 at 9:07 PM
Subject: RE: $1900 / 3br - Town House Hallowell (Olney MD)
To: xxxx

First tell me what section of Craig’s list you found my ad in? I go on Craig’s list in apt/housing section for MD and I can not see the ad.
Second, please provide me with you credentials. Your license number as an agent or broker for services in the state of MD.

2

Hi NSU:
I am new to CA, so here is my opinion for whatever its worth. Are you better off telling the owner how you would solve his problem and NOT mention anything about you not having a LIC… You can mention “NO COMMISSIONS TO YOU” since you are not an agent as opposed to I don’t have a lic…

3

Wasn’t really looking for advice lol…by this point I had already told him how I could solve his house problem, plus I had mentioned I’m an investor. He then tried to be a smart-alec by asking for my “Realtor credentials” (see the bottom message) as if somehow I’m only valid if I’m licensed. I’m just sharing with the board how I handled this particular “gotcha” attempt from this knowitall seller.

Point being, many people believe you’re not qualified to deal on a house unless you have a license which couldn’t be further from the truth.

4

Sorry NSU don’t mean to give unsolicited advice.

5

Nah it’s totally cool, I didn’t make my intentions all that clear anyway lol

6

NSU, that is some funny crap. That guy probably had quite the reaction when he read your response. hehe :beer

7

I’d put money on it that the seller (or a very close family member or associate of the seller) is a licensed real estate agent. In my experience, most real estate agents know one and only one way to deal with selling a property and think everything else is “illegal”.

jmd_forest

8

And then there are those special real estate agents that can run circles around the others with their wealth of knowledge and selling experience! :biggrin

And to play a bit of devil’s advocate here: Not to knock investors, but being an “investor” means someone decided to just start calling themselves an investor. They don’t have to take ongoing classes or pass a test. They aren’t held to any standards nor or they accountable to anyone. In fact, they may not have bought or sold a property in their life, EVER!

The point is, that this kind of tactic rarely helps you achieve your goal and makes you look like one of those great guys that pushes himself up by knocking others down. I’d definitely change up your email if it were me.

9

If he’s asking me for my Realtor credentials when it’s obvious I’m a buyer not a Realtor, then essentially he was trying to be a smartazz. I simply put things into perspective for him.