Should You Call the Number on the For Sale Sign? Here’s Why You Might Want to Think Twice
Picture this: you’re driving through a neighborhood you love, and there it is – the house. You’re in your 60s, so this is your final move.
Perfect backyard. Beautiful landscaping. Maybe even an extended screened-in area or a pool.
In the yard is a big “For Sale” sign with a smiling face and a phone number.
It feels natural to want to call, right? After all, who knows more about the house than the agent on the sign?
Well, that’s not the smartest move – and here’s why.
The Listing Agent Represents the Seller First
In Florida, most real estate agents work as transaction brokers.
That means they can assist both the seller and the buyer in the same deal, but they don’t owe full fiduciary loyalty to either side.
The listing agent’s first job is to help the seller market their home and get the best price and terms possible.
Sure, they can answer your questions and write the contract for you, but they can’t be your personal advocate in negotiations.
Why would they help you? Because they will most likely collect a higher compensation if there is no other agent involved.
How Can This Hurt You
A buyer I am working with texted me about a house that just hit the market today. She’s out of town and her phone went off. “And it has a new roof!”
So, I proceeded to look into the property, and this is what I found: The house had previously been on the market from February through May with no sale. The listing was canceled in May, but in the broker remarks it said, “Please Note: Mold is Present inside house.”
The new listing went up today with a “new roof in 2025, new carpeting in the bedrooms, a/c less than one year old, brand new stainless steel appliances and freshly painted.” But no mention of mold or any remediation of mold.
Any buyer who calls this listing agent will only be given the new listing – not the old one – just as my buyer saw it. Do you see where I’m going here?
And yes, the listing agent is the same on both listings.
A Buyer’s Agent Works for You
Buying a home is exciting – but it can also be overwhelming. There’s a lot going on, and in Florida real estate moves fast.
You need someone in your corner. Someone who’s watching out for your interests. You need a buyer’s agent.
I once had a woman call me in tears. She was under contract and through the inspection when she found out that the community she was buying in only took one dog and she had three. It happens. That’s when she started looking for pet-friendly realtors and found me. But she should have looked first and saved herself a lot of money and a lot of misery.
Ask me – the stories I can tell you!
When you call the listing agent, you’re stepping into a situation where the advice you get is limited by their obligations to the seller.
Limited Representation Means Limited Advice
As a transaction broker, the listing agent has to treat both sides fairly – but they can’t tell you anything that would hurt the seller’s position.
Need to know if you’re offering too much? Or whether the seller might take less? Or how to push for better repair terms?
The listing agent can’t give you those answers.
Your buyer’s agent can.
It Could Cost You More Than You Think
Without a buyer’s agent running the numbers and advising you, it’s easy to overpay – or miss issues that could cost you down the road – like the mold.
Remember – the listing agent’s job is to get the seller the best possible deal, not to save you money.
Talking Too Much Might Work Against You
Tell the listing agent, “I have to have this house!” and – whether they mean to or not – your enthusiasm may make its way to the seller. That can weaken your negotiating power.
Listing agents also like to engage you in conversation as soon as you walk in the door. Oh, where are you from? Do you know so and so? Do you have dogs? Why are you moving? The more you say, the more it can hurt you.
I heard one seller say, “I heard where he was from. I knew he could pay more.”
The Bottom Line
In Florida or any other state, calling the number on the For Sale sign doesn’t mean you’re saving money. It means you’re entering into a transaction where you don’t have full, loyal representation.
The smarter move? Find your own buyer’s agent – someone whose only job is to protect your interests and fight for the best outcome for you. And if you have pets, find yourself a pet-friendly buyer’s agent!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Are you a baby boomer looking to buy a home with or without pets? Are you planning a move in the near future? Do you have any questions that might help make your home purchase easier? Let’s talk about it!
Tags Downsizing Your Life
This article is so true. Thank you! Most people have no idea the listing agent works solely for the seller. I am an agent in Texas of 27 years. I did relocation for 12 of those years for new recruits for major oil companies and USAA clients. There are soooo many things a buyer needs to know to buy the right house. Researching sold comps, what kind of inspections are needed, how to negotiate, complexities involved in buying a condo etc
It IS important however, to find one you can trust. A referral is usually a good idea. I have derived a great deal of personal satisfaction in seeing a young couple beam at each other when they have found the right house and getting a good price for a seller. THIS is what makes my work worthwhile.
There are some agents with questionable integrity (ie NONE) or some that don’t want to go that extra mile for you. I am not one of those people. Thank you for a good informative article.
And thank you, Anne, for your comment. You sound like a good person and a great agent, one I would be happy to work with. I couldn’t agree more about some agents with questionable integrity – none. Those are the ones who don’t know the meaning of the word ethics. Everyone things real estate is so easy. They have no clue.
Agents (buyer or seller) get paid when the sale goes through. Since the publication of the internet, doing your own research is easy, albeit time consuming. However, if you decide to engage a buyers agent, you can certainly point them in a direction you want them to go in after you research localities, school system grades, potential building expansion projects, and homeowner records. You can see even see if permits were pulled for additions etc.
That’s true, Stacy, for those who want to do it and are able to find the information.
very interesting and disappointing article. I am an estate agent in France. This article makes all selling agents sound like assholes! In France we represent the seller AND the buyer and the government requirement is that we DO NOT mislead the buyer and we are responsible for any attempts to “cover up” things like mold. IN FRANCE you can safely trust the sellers agent to represent the buyer too.
I apologize to you, Colette. I was not talking about France. In the beginning of the post, it says Florida. We have some very good agents in Florida, about 20% of them are excellent.
It’s very easy to get a license here – just 63 hours in school – and not everyone is as honorable as they should be.
Again, please accept my sincere apology. This post was in no way meant to insult you or the agents in France. But what I posted is the truth of what goes on here.
I moved cross country to Florida and researched a realtor who specialized in the area i wanted. I only had 3 days to find a house to buy so I found 8 possibilities, but she talked me out of all of them, too far (not for me, for her), too much work (I’ve only bought fixers), etc. In 3 days she had me sitting in her office as she researched online, then took cigarette breaks every 10 minutes. She picked out 2 listings she thought I’d like but were more than i wanted to pay. She said it’s doesn’t hurt to ask, yea for her extra commission, not my happiness. I was so frustrated as valuable time tickticked away. On my last day I told her I had to leave early to see my brother but in fact checked out a brand-new listing by going straight to the other listing agent, and bought that house that day. The first deadbeat agent was mad that she “spent 3 days with me” and that I went behind her back. I now live happily in the house I found myself, and kick myself for wasting my limited time with an agent who prioritized her commission, not my needs. Buyer beware.
Wow, that stinks! When you say you researched her, did you read her reviews? I think it’s also important to click with the person. I would never make anyone wait in the office to do research. Those days are long gone. And the smell of cigarettes is something I can’t handle (nothing personal, it’s just me!) Seriously though, she should have done her work long before you arrived and discussed it with you on the phone, sent either videos or screenshots at the very least, or referred it to another agent if it was out of her area and too far to travel.
You know, it only takes 63 hours to get a real estate license in Florida. That’s way too short, in my opinion. I’ve been doing this 21 years and am a retired court reporter. I can honestly say, in my experience, 20% of the agents are good. They know what they’re doing and would never have done what was done to you. The other 80% should find a new profession. I’m sorry you had to go through that. It gives us all a bad name.
Yes u need to be careful and self-educated and there is no reason why u can’t self-represent when u are the above. Most agents are strictly out for one thing, the money.
I am an agent and this is not true.There is a reason there is representation just for buyers. I enjoy helping people buy the right home for them. Some agents give us a bad rap but we are not all out for the money! Unless you know A LOT about real estate you need an agent to represent you.
I have experienced a lot from dealing with agents and have learned that like everything else today it’s always about the money and the more educated a person is about anything the better off they are which I have become.
That is really really great advice. I spent 50 years in Georgia and the realtors could be transaction realtors there as well. When I moved north to a different big city, I should’ve got a younger realtor. I hired a man I did not know and he was great, but he wasn’t willing to tell me everything because he was working from his own personal perspective now instead of still being objective.
Thank you, Susan. In my experience, it doesn’t have as much to do with age as it does with honesty and integrity. If people have those qualities, they have them. I treat people the way I want to be treated when I buy anything. I hope things have worked out and you’re all settled in.
Yes need to think before speaking. Agents will make you feel comfortable and sometimes too comfortable, need to be careful.
I think you need to speak before many doing many things, but an agent who is truly interested in your well being is not one you have to be careful of. They’re out to make sure you’re happy, that you get the best deal sometimes to the detriment of themselves.