Re:Zillow lost money because they weren't willing to lose money
by emodendroket on Sunday November 28, 2021 @11:04PM
(#29376236)
My observation where I live is that there are somewhat exclusive networks and not everybody is in the same one -- they might be clustered around catering to a clientele speaking a particular foreign language, for instance, and be somewhat apart from more "mainstream" agents. Anyway, I personally watched the selling agent try and convince me and my agent that the water damage in a property I was looking at was hardly damage at all and anyway, it doesn't rain in California, so don't worry about it. Sure, that's just an anecdote. So is your story, though.
I don't doubt that two agents who had frequently worked with each other amicably might be more frank, but I do doubt that agents all, or even mostly, presumptively do this with every counterparty they meet.
As an agent you make your money on the overall volume, not squeezing the last bit out of any particular deal. Near as I can tell getting a reputation for deception is nearly career suicide unless you're at the very low end of the market. I think you're making a fundamental mistake in thinking about incentives in the context of a single sale vs having a career in a business that is very strongly driven by personal networking. This is a common fallacy in microeconomic thinking.