Expert, localized Los Angeles answers provided by Heather Roy

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Is It Ethical?

  we have been considering relocating to anohter city about 2 hours from us. we were using a real estate agent there for several months. Howver, we decided that what he was been able to show us there did not meet our needs.
we decided to stay in our own town and seek a home here. we did indeed find a home here in our home town.
was it unethical of us to not state that the agent in the other town was our agent so he would be compensated from the sale? we found the models on our own and use the agent on site to buy the home.
the agent in the other town is demanding compensation for the time spent with us. is that ethical?
 
  I dont know whether you had any written agreement with that agent, retaining him as a buyer's broker and making some agreement about compensation if you bought without his assistance.  If you didn't, I doubt that you owe him anything.  You can always call and discuss the matter with the supervising broker in that office.  Unless he was the owner of that company, he's not supposed to collect anything directly anyhow.
    Edith
Originally published on August 28, 2007
 
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