Realtor wants to market 3 bedroom home as 4 bedroom - get a new realtor?
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Anonymous
| We're about to put our house on the market, and interviewed an agent we liked quite a bit. But I was taken off guard that he would like to market the house as a 4 bedroom. There are 3 bedrooms (each with a closet), and an upstairs FROG (you know, a random big room over the garage). He would suggest that the FROG is a 4th bedroom. What are the ethics of this? He said he could get fined but that he would "take the heat" if that happened and that he would "take the heat" with buyers' realtors who aren't happy about it. Wouldn't there be some liability for us as well though? Am I blowing this out of proportion, or is it a big red flag about this realtor? |
Anonymous
| What does the tax assessment say |
Anonymous
| Never heard of a FROG. Does the room have two exits? |
Anonymous
| You should probably add an inexpensive closet to that space before you sell it anyway. |
Anonymous
Good question. I'm sure it says 3, but I'll look to confirm ... |
Anonymous
No, just one. I can't even remember what FROG stands for. Something room over garage. |
Anonymous
| Is it heated and air conditioned? |
Anonymous
I think if we do this I'd feel okay calling it a bedroom, unless there are other considerations I should be concerned about (ie: is it a big deal if tax assessment says 3 bedroom?). Window, door, and closet should make a bedroom right? We've only lived in the house for two years and will be lucky to break even on the sale, so my only hesitation is putting more money in that we may not get back out. |
Anonymous
Yes, has its own separate unit, as it's the only "upstairs" room in the house, on its own level. |
Anonymous
|
As a buyer, NOTHING pisses me off more than showing up to a house that has been marketed at 4 bedrooms to find it really only has three and a random space that they are trying to pass off as a 4th.
I want a four bedroom house. It is a waste of your time and mine for me to come and look at a 3 bed. So I'd advise against it. |
Anonymous
I wondered about this as well, and asked the realtor about it being a big turn off for some potential buyers who feel like it was dishonest pretenses getting them there to view it - and he was like "who cares?". Funny thing is he has a reputation as a really super nice guy. But that took me a little off guard. |
Anonymous
| Frog= front room over garage |
Anonymous
So he might be right in that who cares if you piss of a random. But you want someone to buy your house and so you need to make sure you are getting the right people through the door. In your case, the right people are those who want a three bed in your price bracket. Not those who want a 4 bed. They won't buy from you so whilst you may not care about pissing them off, you will care about not selling your house. |
Anonymous
| If the OP's tax assessment says 4 bedrooms, and if he added a closet, would anyone object under ethical or legal grounds? |
Anonymous
|
A legal bedroom
http://blog.wethmangroup.com/2010/04/09/bedrooms-defined/ |