Who pays for lunch?

[Anonymous]

While out viewing houses with my agent, I suggested that we take a lunch break since it was past lunch time and we still had two more houses to see. When the check came, I said it was my treat and paid the bill. When DH heard this, he expressed shock that the agent had let me pay and said she should have at least offered to pay, especially since we will be spending >$900k on our house and she will be earning a substantial commission. Does your agent take you to lunch?

[Anonymous]

Each person should pay for their own meal. This isn't a date.

[Anonymous]

It was nice of you to treat, but not necessary. I don't think the agent should've paid either. Dutch next time.

[Anonymous]

Well it's trickier because you suggested lunch. Normally I think the agent should pay, but in this context I'm not so sure.

[Anonymous]

Our nice agent always offered to get coffee etc., and gave us a lovely gift at settlement.
But different strokes...I can imagine doing what OP did, especially if you are in a relatively better financial position generally.
There are agents and agents--some just getting by, some doing really well. Likewise there are buyers who need to scrimp to come up with a down payment, some who, well, don't.

Maybe it is because I am not in the latter category, but if I were I would certainly not think twice about buying my agent lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Each person should pay for their own meal. This isn't a date.

LOL!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While out viewing houses with my agent, I suggested that we take a lunch break since it was past lunch time and we still had two more houses to see. When the check came, I said it was my treat and paid the bill. When DH heard this, he expressed shock that the agent had let me pay and said she should have at least offered to pay, especially since we will be spending >$900k on our house and she will be earning a substantial commission. Does your agent take you to lunch?

If you can afford that ridiculous amount on a house, then you can afford to treat the agent.

[Anonymous]

Can't the realtor write the meal off as a business expense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Each person should pay for their own meal. This isn't a date.

LOL!!!

Dutch. In theory, I would pick a place like Panera Bread etc, La Madelaine etc, where the person is expected to get what they want/able to pay for. I wouldn't assume the agent is going to pay for my meal. Even if you are shopping for 900K house, the agent doesn't make money till the deal closes. I can also imagine the conversation ....customer is searching for a 900K home and suggests lunch and looks for me to pay.

Since you picked a full service restaurant, it gets dicey, does someone ask for a separate check, does someone suggest you split it etc. I guess of all the routes, the thing to do would be to look at the bill with a "let me see how much I owe", figure out what you owe, pass the bill to the other person. Both of you have reasons why it would make sense not to pay for everyone (realtor isn't paid yet by you, you think Someone will be splitting 63k I'm commission) and it seems more than reasonable that you only ordered what you were comfortable paying for so if you ordered an entree and someone else a sandwich, presumably the entree person can afford that and the sandwich person could afford that.

[Anonymous]

Agent should pay - you are their client and will be paid as a result of you hiring them.
If you don't end up buying a house with them, it's still the cost of doing business

[Anonymous]

If lunch was not planned and was your suggestion then you should pay. They are taking additional time out of their work day which they could spend on other income producing activities for YOUR lunch break. To avoid any issues, eat before your house showings. I guess it all comes down to how much you value their time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While out viewing houses with my agent, I suggested that we take a lunch break since it was past lunch time and we still had two more houses to see. When the check came, I said it was my treat and paid the bill. When DH heard this, he expressed shock that the agent had let me pay and said she should have at least offered to pay, especially since we will be spending >$900k on our house and she will be earning a substantial commission. Does your agent take you to lunch?

If you can afford that ridiculous amount on a house, then you can afford to treat the agent.

you are either writing from Idaho or your comment is ridiculous. I bought in DC and spent less than 900K on my home (I simply could not confortably afford more than I bought), but I know that with 900K you certainly do not buy a lavish home in DC. and if you have kids, your choice of locations may be limited to the higher cost areas where schools are decent. when a good chunck of buyers can afford 900K homes, that price is not ridiculous anymore, it is simply market price.

I liked our agent and in that situation I would have probably offered to pay lunch. at the same time, I would not have proposed to have lunch at a restaurant, just to grab something somewhere on the way to the next open house

[Anonymous]

Agent should pay. Red flag that he didn't offer .

[Anonymous]

Depends on the relationship with the agent. Generally speaking, if all you had left was 2 houses, that would have taken 1/2 hour, and instead you probably took a lot more of the agent's free time where s/he could have done more work or gone home, but it was your idea to get the food.

As an agent, I often pay the first time I take a client out and meal/coffee etc. is appropriate. However, if it becomes a regular thing and we're looking for a long time, the other poster is right. It's not a date. You are looking for a house and I am helping you find one. There is no real reason that I *should* pay for your meal.

And since you are buying...you aren't paying the agent anyway. Not that this is really the point.