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I recently moved to a new real estate firm. Before leaving the old firm I ask clients who had listed with me if they wished to move their listing with me to which all confirmed they did. So the listings were withdrawn. Then new listing documents prepared and sent to them ( they are all long distant clients). One of my clients called me to tell me another agent had called him about listing his property. He told her he was listing with me again but had not signed the paperwork yet. She called him several times after this. I called the agent after I heard from my client that she was calling him. I told her this was unethical. My client returned the listing paperwork signed so no further problems with this. However she did the same with another of my clients who did not inform me but had earlier told me he wanted to relist with me at the new firm. This client did not return the listing paperwork and ended up listing with the other agent. The other agent knew the status of my relationship with this client, that the client had planned to relist with me and had the paperwork from me.

What do you think? Is there an ethics violation here?

John posted:

I recently moved to a new real estate firm. Before leaving the old firm I
ask clients who had listed with me if they wished to move their listing with
me to which all confirmed they did. So the listings were withdrawn. Then new
listing documents prepared and sent to them ( they are all long distant
clients). One of my clients called me to tell me another agent had called
him about listing his property. He told her he was listing with me again but
had not signed the paperwork yet. She called him several times after this. I
called the agent after I heard from my client that she was calling him. I
told her this was unethical. My client returned the listing paperwork signed
so no further problems with this. However she did the same with another of
my clients who did not inform me but had earlier told me he wanted to relist
with me at the new firm. This client did not return the listing paperwork
and ended up listing with the other agent. The other agent knew the status
of my relationship with this client, that the client had planned to relist
with me and had the paperwork from me. What do you think? Is there an ethics
violation here?

John,

Your previous company released the sellers from their contract and obviously
changed the MLS to reflect that status so you would be able to re-list them.
At that point, they were not under an listing agreement and are "fair game"
for anyone to contact. I don't like the fact that he called the person back
several times after being told by the seller that he was listing with you
again....but until the listing is active again in the MLS, the agent was
perfectly ethical.

Linda Grissette, GRI, e-PRO Certified, JIM * Prudential Select Properties,
St Louis Area * Mailto:Linda@Grissette.com Check out my real estate
products at http://www.RealEstateMarketingHelp.com