What if we don't like The Villages sales rep "assigned" to us..

[JohnN]

when we visited, he was ~ok~, but talked and never listened, didn't show a resale though we asked in advance, gave us little focus and time, and my spouse (the one to please) just didn't relate to this kid (young man, actually).

I'm planning to request a different TV realtor, has anyone done this, or know someone.
Hate to hurt his feelings but this isn't gonna work. Thanks for sharing

[Barefoot]

You can absolutely ask for another Rep, people do it all the time! BTW, they are paid more commission to sell new, than to sell resales. It is their "mandate" to show you new homes first, even if you've requested resales.

We didn't want new, they showed us new, we looked at several. We then told them we only wanted to look at resales, no problem at all. They showed us lot of resales.

Also be sure you ask if there is a bond and add it to the sales price. So you can compare apples to apples.

But we bought through MLS, not VLS.

[SteveFromNY]

I wouldn't worry a bit about asking for another. Sometimes the chemistry isn't right. You don't have to make it a reflection on the young man at all, just tell whoever's in charge you want someone new because you don't click with the one you got by luck of the draw. You're the one who needs to be happy.

[JohnN]

thanks for the tips, and we plan to look at MLS resales too, we'll cover the gamut

[golfnut]

We used Susan Berman and recommend her highly.

[gfmucci]

We switched a year ago and were assigned John Stamper.* John is an excellent listener, soft-spoken, very professional, and has been very responsive with our questions.* I recommend him highly.

[SteveFromNY]

I'll plug my agent too - Dexter Mayworm. He really did a great job. He works with his wife and daughter and they are terrific. He's very laid back, and will show you what you want to see.
He's on one of the commercials running on TV channel too (not that that matters much).

[gigi22]

I'll plug my Villages agent, as well. Karen Scarbrough was a good listener, not pushy, and often said that she wanted us to find the perfect house. We were open to used or new, but picked new because of the price and location. When the right house came on the market, she immediately put a hold on it for us, because she knew we were arriving that day. If she hadn't, I know it would have been sold right away, because of the great view.

I'm sure that the agents are used to people switching if it doesn't work out. You need to feel comfortable with your agent. Good luck!

[Halle]

We had an excellent Sales Rep, Debra Park. We initially were on a 3 day preview but quickly realized we would need more time and extended to 6 days. After looking at Courtyard Homes (which is what we were sure we wanted) for a day we realized that was not the home for us. We explained this to Debra and told her we had decided we would like to look at Designer and Ranch homes. She showed us several pre-owned and new homes. We then narrowed it down even more and told her we were only interested in buying if we could find a home that backed up to a fence or courtyard wall. We met with her the next day and she showed us several homes that backed up to fences. We found the home we wanted and closed the deal. Having been a Realtor in Florida several years ago I was really pleased that she listened to our request and made the experience enjoyable. We highly recommend Debra and believe you will be pleased with the service she provides. Communication is the most important part of a relationship remember they are not mind readers you must make your requirements and desires clear the more information you provide the better.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

[lm01]

I had no problem requesting someone new the guy I had just didnot communicate well.

[BethS]

I found that when we were looking in TV for a place that the reps were very laid back, not pushy, either you want the place or you don't. But that was 2 years ago when real estate was good. There was always someone ready and willing to buy a place at that time. I met a nice realtor, Donna Fenster, I ended up buying a for sale by owner so didn't use her but since have known many people that have and she is great. Also, I see her picture in the paper quite often for top sales. Hope this helps.

[TideFan]

Ask for Bobby Gulati. He will show you new and existing that have to do with your likes. He'll spend a lot of time with you and research the h_ll out of the houses for you.

[mailme]

Write a letter to Jennifer Parr. Tell her you don't like your sales agent (they are NOT Realtors). Someone will call you and make it right with a new sales person. We've heard they are getting pretty agressive now with fewer buyers around.

mm

[jjdees]

Well I guess I'll throw a name in too. Michele Halloy has worked with us and shown us both new and resales and does not try to push us in any direction other than to properties that would please us and no one else i.e. TV management. She may not belong to the National Association of Realtors, (I don't know if she does or doesn't) but she is more professional and knowledgeable than any of the Realtors we've worked with in the past and there have been many. She's a delight to work with.

[mailme]

The sales people in the Properties of the Villages are only sales reps, not fully licensed real estate agents. The term "Realtor" is a trademark of an association of real estate firms that follow a strict code of ethics. None of TV sales people can be referred to as Realtors.

mm

[heavycorrosion]

That is partly correct.........to be called a Realtor you have to belong the the NAR national association of Realtors and abide by their code of ethics. It has nothing to do with real estate firms. I know because i am a Realtor.* 8)

[Fourpar]

Hmmmm. A little clarification is in order here. The agents working for the developer are licensed be the State of Florida as either Salespersons or Brokers to conduct real estate business in the State. Those licensees do not belong to the National Association of REALTORS, however.

Members of the National Association of REALTORS are 1- Licensed by the State of Florida in the same way agents for The Villages are licensed. and 2. They are able to use the term REALTOR by virtue of that membership. The sales people of TV are indeed not REALTORS. They are Agents of The Villages.

While that may sound like splitting hairs, trust me it is not. The difference is wide, and anyone doing business with salespersons from TV should understand exactly who those sales persons owe their loyalty.

My background = Florida Licensed Broker, Instructor and REALTOR for 18+ years

[RCT]

Agent, rep, realtor, whatever terminology you want to use, all of them work for THE SALE!! Sure, some may be better at listening, not pushy, researching more, but the bottom line is THE SALE! I am not saying anything is wrong with this, it's the way things work, but don't try and make it sound like, if the buyers wanted a house, and the realtor/rep/agent didn't think the house was right for them, that they would back out and tell them to get another agent or anything. Both sides work for THE SALE, nothing more, nothing less.

[bsliny]

I used Carrol Jullianilly from the VILLAGES and was very happy with her
There was no pressure at all :hot: :hot: :hot:

[Russ_Boston]

BS - I think it is spelled Carol Julianelli (if it's the same one) and she was great with us although we haven't purcased yet.

[graciegirl]

We had Karen D. first and she left for a few days off after showing us new houses and taking us around for about two and a half hours. Then we needed someone else to show us a house we found by ourselves.

Our second person was/is Jim McLaughlin, a mature man who has been so helpful, even to going out and measuring the windows on our new house, without really being asked to. (He knew I wanted to sew window treatments.) He is a good listener, and "our age". We liked him a lot. He even took pictures and sent them to us on the day of closing, which we did by mail. He is a villager and lives in his second village home, a Villa, (he downsized from a ranch.) We liked him because he was so honest and not at all show off or pretentious or anything like "slick Eddie, the used car salesman".

[graciegirl]

I overheard that one of the new "reps" is a great grandson of Mr. Schwartz.

[bsliny]

BS - I think it is spelled Carol Julianelli (if it's the same one) and she was great with us although we haven't purcased yet. Thats her next time i 'll do it with my glasses on

[mikey]

Does anyone know what the difference is in commissions for the sale of a pre-owned v. a new home?

[Number 6]

All right, I am going to plug our agent, Audrey Sullivan. She worked with us for years, always keeping in touch while never being overbearing. She even scored me primo Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone tickets before we came down to buy this spring. Now that's above and beyond. She also understood the Number 6 reference.

[jimt49]

The Prisoner...A great show

Bob Boyd was my salesman. He worked with me for almost 3 years and e-mail conversations were like chats. He carries a Blackberry and responds to e-mails in seconds.

[Fourpar]

Agent, rep, realtor, whatever terminology you want to use, all of them work for THE SALE!! Sure, some may be better at listening, not pushy, researching more, but the bottom line is THE SALE! I am not saying anything is wrong with this, it's the way things work, but don't try and make it sound like, if the buyers wanted a house, and the realtor/rep/agent didn't think the house was right for them, that they would back out and tell them to get another agent or anything. Both sides work for THE SALE, nothing more, nothing less.


I couldn't disagree with you more.

[graciegirl]

Agent, rep, realtor, whatever terminology you want to use, all of them work for THE SALE!! Sure, some may be better at listening, not pushy, researching more, but the bottom line is THE SALE! I am not saying anything is wrong with this, it's the way things work, but don't try and make it sound like, if the buyers wanted a house, and the realtor/rep/agent didn't think the house was right for them, that they would back out and tell them to get another agent or anything. Both sides work for THE SALE, nothing more, nothing less.


I have never, underline NEVER, seen less pressure from a real estate person and we didn't hear anything that remotely sounded like a sales pitch from the two reps we had.It was UN-believable!!! I am not an ingenue, I have retired from being an independent apparel rep for 25 years. There are different methods for closing a sale and I believe this group has been DIRECTED to be low key. You know what? It works.

[Lucko]

Realtor Debra Park is great -- Probably the hardest working realtor in TV --#352-753-2270

[Barefoot]

Agent, rep, realtor, whatever terminology you want to use, all of them work for THE SALE!! Sure, some may be better at listening, not pushy, researching more, but the bottom line is THE SALE! I am not saying anything is wrong with this, it's the way things work, but don't try and make it sound like, if the buyers wanted a house, and the realtor/rep/agent didn't think the house was right for them, that they would back out and tell them to get another agent or anything. Both sides work for THE SALE, nothing more, nothing less.


Ron, have to disagree with you on this one!! It sounds as if you've experienced some greedy agents. But please don't judge an entire industry based on your negative experiences.

[Russ_Boston]

Ron is not being negative, just realistic - If an agent, Realtor, salesman, call them what you want don't make sales they don't make money PERIOD!!!!

Some do it by being low key best friends. Some may be nice because it's their nature and they know they'll get your business later if not sooner. Some may be hard nose down to earth types. Some may be A types. Some may be B types.

BUT IF THEY DON'T MAKE THE SALE THEY DON"T MAKE THE MONEY!

They know what approach works for them and the good ones will always size up the client and know what will work on them.

It's not rocket science - it's called SALES!

[Sidney Lanier]

Yes, you can certainly ask for a different agent, preferably by doing it nonjudgmentally, as was suggested earlier, that is, no complaint about who was assigned to you but just that you weren't comfortable chemistry-wise.

We started out with Brian Buehler in TV, who was thoughtful, listened well, very responsive to interminable questions, and answered them quickly. We were clear that we wanted a resale, and although he suggested that we look at new construction if for no other reason than comparison, which we did choose to do, there was no pressure. In the end we did not buy through him or any other salesperson, nor did we buy a FSBO per se. What actually happened is that friends of ours took us to meet people who had their house listed with TV and we bought privately; all the sellers had to do was make a phone call to say they were selling privately and to end their listing, which apparently is allowed in FL.

We and Brian have still maintained a connection, and in fact he invited us to the party he and his real estate partner, Brad Becker, threw at the Polo Fields for everyone who had bought through them in the past year. He certainly didn't have to include us but chose to do so. Very decent, laid-back fellow, well worth considering to use.

[diskman]

we recommend audrey.sullivan@thevillages.com even knowing we were on our first trip and would not be buying on that trip she gave us 3/4 of the days time without any stress!

[mac9divot]

I'll throw my "2 cents" into the pot. My sales rep, Joe Deleo, was absolutely fantastic. Worked with him for over a year before we bought. Showed us exactly what we asked to see with no pressure whatsoever. I have recommended him to our best friends who also purchased from him. Our friend is not an easy person to fool as he has been in sales for over 30 years and recognizes a bad apple when he sees one. They too were delighted with the sevice that they received from Joe.

[RCT]

Ron, have to disagree with you on this one!! It sounds as if you've experienced some greedy agents. But please don't judge an entire industry based on your negative experiences.
BF, like Russ said, wasn't meant to sound negative, just realistic. No, I haven't had any bad experiences. I should have mentioned, that we LOVE our rep! She has done everything we asked, and more. Her name is Mitzi Terry, and would reccomned her to ANYONE! The bottom line, whether the person is working for TV's, or an outside agency, is the sale. If it wasn't, then nothing would ever get sold, as the two sides would never negotiate

[heavycorrosion]

Hmmmm. A little clarification is in order here. The agents working for the developer are licensed be the State of Florida as either Salespersons or Brokers to conduct real estate business in the State. Those licensees do not belong to the National Association of REALTORS, however.

Members of the National Association of REALTORS are 1- Licensed by the State of Florida in the same way agents for The Villages are licensed. and 2. They are able to use the term REALTOR by virtue of that membership. The sales people of TV are indeed not REALTORS. They are Agents of The Villages.

While that may sound like splitting hairs, trust me it is not. The difference is wide, and anyone doing business with salespersons from TV should understand exactly who those sales persons owe their loyalty.

My background = Florida Licensed Broker, Instructor and REALTOR for 18+ years

Very good explination, I could not have said it better myself. I would also like to say that Jim McLaughlin also gets my vote, he showed us some houses when we were down there in Feb, a very nice and professional man to work with.

[JohnN]

Well, I appreciate all the input, and there are plenty of good sales reps, and a few not, just like any business. I ended up contacting Debra Park and couldn't have been more pleased at the result. Thanks everyone

[Barefoot]

Ron is not being negative, just realistic - If an agent, Realtor, salesman, call them what you want don't make sales they don't make money PERIOD!!!! Some do it by being low key best friends. Some may be nice because it's their nature and they know they'll get your business later if not sooner. Some may be hard nose down to earth types. Some may be A types. Some may be B types.
BUT IF THEY DON'T MAKE THE SALE THEY DON"T MAKE THE MONEY!
They know what approach works for them and the good ones will always size up the client and know what will work on them.
It's not rocket science - it's called SALES!

Sorry to hijack this topic of Assigned Village agent. :cop: However Ron stated in his post that all agents work for the sale, nothing more, nothing less! I just can't let that statement pass. To suggest that ALL agents are motivated purely by sales commission, is simply not true.

There are agents that work purely for commission and they are generally pretty miserable individuals. There are agents that work because they love the job of finding that "perfect" house for a client; and they are usually much happier and self fulfilled. Even if they don't make a sale, they receive referral business because of their great attitude.

It 's like suggesting that all teachers or nurses work only for the salary, nothing more, nothing less! The terms "job satisfaction" and "integrity" come to mind.

[RCT]

Sorry to hijack this topic of Assigned Village agent. :cop: However Ron stated in his post that all agents work for the sale, nothing more, nothing less! I just can't let that statement pass. To suggest that ALL agents are motivated purely by sales commission, is simply not true.

There are agents that work purely for commission and they are generally pretty miserable individuals. There are agents that work because they love the job of finding that "perfect" house for a client; and they are usually much happier and self fulfilled. Even if they don't make a sale, they receive referral business because of their great attitude.

It 's like suggesting that all teachers or nurses work only for the salary, nothing more, nothing less! The terms "job satisfaction" and "integrity" come to mind.



Sorry to have started this! Purely? Maybe not, but do you think people would do this on a volunteer basis? A teacher could fail the whole class, and still get paid. Doctors and nurses lose patients all the time, and thru no fault of their own, and still get paid. But if a realtor/rep loses, do they get paid? No. I never said some don't enjoy the work, of course they do, but if they don't sell, and get no check,then they'd be on to something else soon enough. I wasn't questioning anyones integrity at all, nowhere near a mention of that in my statement. Please don't turn words around on me, suggesting I was saying something that I wasn't even close to. I'll end with this. You have volunteer teachers, you have volunteer nurses, but have you ever heard of anyone donating their time, as a volunteer realtor???

[graciegirl]

There is a little of that and a little of this in selling for pure commission. A persons professionalism doesn't change and is the sum total of their real personality, whether they are in sales or a teacher. I know, I have been both.

If you are a person who works hard, tries to do the right thing, is considerate, conscientious, kind, a better listener than a talker and well informed, it is hard not to be successful.

Your first goal is to earn money, of course, but most people are not fooled. If the REAL you is helpful, hardworking and caring, then people will tell people who tell people and success happens.

[Russ_Boston]

You have volunteer teachers, you have volunteer nurses, but have you ever heard of anyone donating their time, as a volunteer realtor???

Priceless RCT! Yes, the act of giving back to the community as a volunteer Realtor. You've motivated me - I was thinking that instead of becoming an RN, maybe I should become a volunteer IT professional.

Seriously:
You have to love your work to be truly successful but any Realtor (agent, whatever) knows that many, many people try the business and then fail because they don't make the sales numbers. You don't see them continue in the profession after that.

Neither RCT nor anyone here is questioning someone's integrity.

[Barefoot]

Priceless RCT! Yes, the act of giving back to the community as a volunteer Realtor. You've motivated me - I was thinking that instead of becoming an RN, maybe I should become a volunteer IT professional.

I was merely trying to make the point that all realtors aren't money-grubbing bottom-feeders (my words, not yours). But I can't match the wit and scarcasm of Russ and Ron, who are both fine gentlemen and people I respect.
Peace and love boys. lovehorse

[JohnN]

barefoot, Russ et all,

it's not good to generalize about any group of people, including realtors/sales reps.
unfortunately over time, sales types have gotten bad reps (and often deserved) for things they do.

peace

[Russ_Boston]

As Father Mulchay from M*A*S*H once said "Oh the jocularity!".

Ron - Do you want the label of 'witty' or the stigma of 'sarcastic'?


Just joking everyone - TV pretty much sells itself regardless of agent and the fine friends that I've made here on TOTV just seal the deal.

[jojo]

Let me add a recommendation for a Village representative. We worked with Kathy Gooding for the past three years - coming down about once a year. Kathy stayed in touch, set aside most of this week to work with us, and was most informative and helpful. As others said, absolutely no pressure. Unfortunately, the house that we chose was listed with MLS. It surprised us as the odds are against that. If you are seeking someone, I would recommend Kathy and her business partner Bev as outstanding, knowledgeable, and friendly representatives.

[RCT]

As Father Mulchay from M*A*S*H once said "Oh the jocularity!".

Ron - Do you want the label of 'witty' or the stigma of 'sarcastic'?


Just joking everyone - TV pretty much sells itself regardless of agent and the fine friends that I've made here on TOTV just seal the deal.
Sarcastically witty, would be my preference. :bigthumbsup:

[Russ_Boston]

Good, because I'd rather be Wittily Sarcastic!.