My Experience with a Village real estate agent.

[Denbal82]

I listed my home with a Village real estate agent named Debbie Sander in August. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, I asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, I had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

As the weeks go on, I emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions I emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her I have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying I have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, I left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a Monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On December 2nd, I left a voice mail with Debbie Sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back ASAP. To this day, I haven't heard from her. I since met with the Villages Sales Office manager and learned that Debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another Village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, I will go with a MLS agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, I just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a Village realtor. In my opinion, I don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, I always wondered about a realtor using their High School picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties.

[Bay Kid]

I would send this complaint to her boss. That will get results.

[retiredguy123]

I have not listed a house with The Villages. However, when I have listed a house, the maximum listing contract I would agree to was 90 days. And, the contract would include a clause that said, if I lose confidence in the agent or broker, I can fire them at any time. The Villages has some good, experienced agents. Your listing contract is with The Villages, not the individual agent. Also, when listing a house for sale, I always wanted to know the names of the top selling agents in the brokerage. Why not use the best?

[manaboutown]

Why not file a complaint with the state's regulatory department?

Here is their form.

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/re/documents/re-2200-1.pdf

[JohnN]

We had a substandard agent when we bought here. We contacted The Villages and asked for a different agent, no problem.
Rather than reporting to the attorney general, etc etc. why not take a deep breath and forget it , don't let it bother you. Release.
I'm sure she doesn't care.

[pauld315]

Why not file a complaint with the state's regulatory department?

Here is their form.

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/re/documents/re-2200-1.pdf

My understanding is that Villages "realtors" do not necessarily have to have a real estate license. They do not use MLS and they are contractors contracted to TV.

[Denbal82]

Thanks for the reply. I always heard the houses sell very fast here so I didn't think about the 90 day term and any stipulations to add. I now learned.



I have not listed a house with The Villages. However, when I have listed a house, the maximum listing contract I would agree to was 90 days. And, the contract would include a clause that said, if I lose confidence in the agent or broker, I can fire them at any time. The Villages has some good, experienced agents. Your listing contract is with The Villages, not the individual agent. Also, when listing a house for sale, I always wanted to know the names of the top selling agents in the brokerage. Why not use the best?

[manaboutown]

My understanding is that Villages "realtors" do not necessarily have to have a real estate license. They do not use MLS and they are contractors contracted to TV.

All real estate agents must be state licensees.

[retiredguy123]

My understanding is that Villages "realtors" do not necessarily have to have a real estate license. They do not use MLS and they are contractors contracted to TV.
That is not correct. None of The Villages agents are Realtors because The Villages, as a broker, is not a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). But, all of The Villages agents are licensed by the state to sell real estate. It is illegal to sell real estate on a commission basis without a license.

[Denbal82]

Thanks for your input. I actually did that by filling a form online and haven't heard back from them. They actually can be protected by being under the "umbrella" of the Villages.





Why not file a complaint with the state's regulatory department?

Here is their form.

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/re/documents/re-2200-1.pdf

[Denbal82]

Thanks. The sales manager did work with me and sign me up with another agent. The thing is, he never really addressed my concerns I had with Debbie and told me just to move forward. I guess I'm glad I had another option with a new realtor.




We had a substandard agent when we bought here. We contacted The Villages and asked for a different agent, no problem.
Rather than reporting to the attorney general, etc etc. why not take a deep breath and forget it , don't let it bother you. Release.
I'm sure she doesn't care.

[retiredguy123]

Thanks for your input. I actually did that by filling a form online and haven't heard back from them. They actually can be protected by being under the "umbrella" of the Villages.
If she has a real estate license, and violates the law with respect to her fiduciary obligations to a client, the board can rescind her license. The Villages cannot prevent that.

[Denbal82]

I appreciate your reply. I did contact a "so called" Village sales manager but the realtors are "contractors" and basically work for themselves. Like I said, he did assign me another realtor.



I would send this complaint to her boss. That will get results.

[Stu from NYC]

Have seen her name as a listing agent on quite a few properties here. Wonder if she has too much on her plate? No excuse for her actions though.

[Bogie Shooter]

Thanks. The sales manager did work with me and sign me up with another agent. The thing is, he never really addressed my concerns I had with Debbie and told me just to move forward. I guess I'm glad I had another option with a new realtor.

Did you complete the state form before or after meeting the sales manager?

[manaboutown]

Have seen her name as a listing agent on quite a few properties here. Wonder if she has too much on her plate? No excuse for her actions though.

Indeed! I just checked. She has numerous "higher end" Villages listings. She is on Facebook and was at one time an associate broker with Sotheby's in the Miami area.

[retiredguy123]

I appreciate your reply. I did contact a "so called" Village sales manager but the realtors are "contractors" and basically work for themselves. Like I said, he did assign me another realtor.
The "agents", not realtors, are not independent contractors with respect to you. They work for The Villages, who is the "broker" and they may have a separate agreement with the broker. An agent cannot sell a house without a licensed broker. But, your listing contract is between you and the broker, not the agent. I would suggest that you examine the listing contract to see who signed it as the broker. That is the person who you should talk with if you have an issue with the performance of the contract.

[Denbal82]

I did. I filled out a form but no response yet.



Did you complete the state form before or after meeting the sales manager?

[Denbal82]

Yes, that is correct. A broker did sign it. I just went through the chain of commands. I may contact the broker soon.



The "agents", not realtors, are not independent contractors with respect to you. They work for The Villages, who is the "broker" and they may have a separate agreement with the broker. An agent cannot sell a house without a licensed broker. But, your listing contract is between you and the broker, not the agent. I would suggest that you examine the listing contract to see who signed it as the broker. That is the person who you should talk with if you have an issue with the performance of the contract.

[villageuser]

My understanding is that Villages "realtors" do not necessarily have to have a real estate license. They do not use MLS and they are contractors contracted to TV.
Exactly. Any company who refuses to use MLS is not diligently working in your behalf.

[NoMo50]

Does anyone else think there might be two sides to this story? FWIW...Debbie Sander is the #1 sales agent for Properties of The Villages, and has been since 2020. It would be pretty tough to achieve that level of distinction if she treated people the way the OP describes. Plus, the photo she uses in her marketing materials is not her high school picture, and saying that was definitely a cheap shot. Calling out someone based on their appearance is, on the other hand, very high school-ish.

[LeDia]

I had an awful experience with a village ‘realtor’. I contacted Jennifer Parr and was surprised to receive a phone call. I know my ‘realtor’ was spoken to and there were some other consequences for his actions or I should say lack of actions.

[rsmurano]

I put most of the blame on the seller and not on the agent. I have fired real estate agents within a month for incompetence before and I would have in this case after a few weeks. Using the villages real estate agents would have been easy because you would have just gone with another agent not another company, with me firing an outside agent, I went with another company so they lost rlms fees, photographer fees, etc..

[Chloe Girl]

I had an awful experience with a village ‘realtor’. I contacted Jennifer Parr and was surprised to receive a phone call. I know my ‘realtor’ was spoken to and there were some other consequences for his actions or I should say lack of actions.
You are very fortunate because we had an issue with the realtor when we bought here in The Villages. My husband tried to contact Jennifer Parr but his call was ignored by her.

[geobar]

After about one week of no response, I would have called her team leader at "The Village's Sales offices" to have her replaced.


I listed my home with a Village real estate agent named Debbie Sander in August. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, I asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, I had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

As the weeks go on, I emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions I emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her I have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying I have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, I left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a Monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On December 2nd, I left a voice mail with Debbie Sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back ASAP. To this day, I haven't heard from her. I since met with the Villages Sales Office manager and learned that Debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another Village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, I will go with a MLS agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, I just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a Village realtor. In my opinion, I don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, I always wondered about a realtor using their High School picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties.

[Bridget Staunton]

When your contract is over, get a real estate company outside TV

[mkjelenbaas]

I listed my home with a Village real estate agent named Debbie Sander in August. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, I asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, I had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

As the weeks go on, I emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions I emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her I have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying I have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, I left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a Monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On December 2nd, I left a voice mail with Debbie Sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back ASAP. To this day, I haven't heard from her. I since met with the Villages Sales Office manager and learned that Debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another Village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, I will go with a MLS agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, I just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a Village realtor. In my opinion, I don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, I always wondered about a realtor using their High School picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties.
Hire one of the ROGUE realtors- find Chris Day as he is the best??

[NavyBoy]

i listed my home with a village real estate agent named debbie sander in august. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, i asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, i had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

as the weeks go on, i emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions i emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her i have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying i have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, i left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On december 2nd, i left a voice mail with debbie sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back asap. To this day, i haven't heard from her. I since met with the villages sales office manager and learned that debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, i will go with a mls agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, i just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a village realtor. In my opinion, i don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, i always wondered about a realtor using their high school picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties.

you get what you deserve because you failed to be smart and go with sally love realty on 466a. She is the biggest and the very best and far superior when selling used homes in the villages. You get what you pay for....

[Dlbonivich]

Just like every company there are good and bad sales people. The number one agent obviously is popular and probably does a pretty good job. Remember Real Estate has been “easy” for the last few years. Things have changed somewhat, homes are not moving as quickly. She may have been going through an adjustment period. I have been doing real estate for 27 years. I have experienced slow downs before. It is not easy addressing this with clients with high expectations based on previous years. Hopefully she gets things together and moves forward. Sellers need to be prepared to have their home stay on the market a little longer. The market in The Villages is great, the rest of the country does affect the local market. Everyone wants to come here, but they need to sell where they are to get here. I wish the commenter good luck. Be patient.

[defrey12]

All real estate agents must be state licensees.

They do, and they are. They are NOT part any local board of Realtors nor do they belong to ANY MLS service.

[Lchughart@gmail.com]

We use Debbie to buy a house and would not recommend her again, she missed lead us on the items that should have been included in the sale in the house, and was nonresponsive on a issue following closing on the house.

[Ele201]

We had a substandard agent when we bought here. We contacted The Villages and asked for a different agent, no problem.
Rather than reporting to the attorney general, etc etc. why not take a deep breath and forget it , don't let it bother you. Release.
I'm sure she doesn't care.
Agree with your line of reasoning. There are people providing substandard services out there in various sales positions. In real estate, I’ve found agents are quite proactive because they are motivated by making a sale and will do whatever it takes.

Anyway, in this case, the OP is actually fortunate to have cut ties and moved to another agent. Things could have been much worse if she stayed with an agent who she felt wasn’t responsive.

[airstreamingypsy]

I am in awe of your patience, I would have fired her the first time she ignored a request from me.

[Debbraham]

My understanding is that Villages "realtors" do not necessarily have to have a real estate license. They do not use MLS and they are contractors contracted to TV.

They do have to have a real estate license. It’s just that The Billages do not belong to the state board of realtors so they can not list thru mls and do not have to follow the standard of rules snd conduct associated with the state board of realtors.

[Debset]

I'm surprised to hear this about Debbie Sander. When I was searching for a home in the Villages a few years ago she was VERY helpful and knowledgeable. What impressed me the most was the fact that I was looking at manufactured homes while she was listing/selling high-end homes but yet she was there to help me. Not sure that she had an assistant then? Maybe that's the problem? Hope everything works out well for you!

[Denbal82]

Thanks for the reply. My problem wasn't with the value, sales or marketing statistics or changes. My problem was with correspondence, or lack of, with the realtor.

Just like every company there are good and bad sales people. The number one agent obviously is popular and probably does a pretty good job. Remember Real Estate has been “easy” for the last few years. Things have changed somewhat, homes are not moving as quickly. She may have been going through an adjustment period. I have been doing real estate for 27 years. I have experienced slow downs before. It is not easy addressing this with clients with high expectations based on previous years. Hopefully she gets things together and moves forward. Sellers need to be prepared to have their home stay on the market a little longer. The market in The Villages is great, the rest of the country does affect the local market. Everyone wants to come here, but they need to sell where they are to get here. I wish the commenter good luck. Be patient.

[davefin]

As always, there are two sides to every situation.

[ron32162]

They all have a state license and not a member of MLS

[Pennyt]

All real estate agents must be state licensees.

If someone is employed by and representing a developer or builder, they are not required to have a real estate license. At least that was the way it was when I was a real estate broker.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Exactly. Any company who refuses to use MLS is not diligently working in your behalf.

The Villages Real Estate /cannot/ use MLS. They are contracted to do sales exclusively for The Villages Holding Corp, the developer and owner of the new properties. MLS agents are not allowed to sell new construction for the same reason - they are NOT contracted to sell on behalf of the owners of the property. It's a long-standing agreement. The Villages Real Estate is the Developer's sales arm.

[Gator_Girl]

That's why reviews were created... go on Google and submit your review

[Gettingoutofdodge]

I used Star Amidor 352 446 1261, she was phenomenal from start to finish. I bought my house in June and she was there every step of the way. She responds immediately to calls/text messages. Her assistant is also top notch. If anyone is buying, give her a call. She sold a few of my friends homes in The Villages and came highly recommended.
The VLS knows of homes going up for sale before they get on the market. That is a wonderful advantage. I saw my home the day it was advertised and the minute I saw it; I made an offer and within an hour the seller accepted the offer. I signed the contract the same day.
I still call her for recommendations for various services. If she doesn’t answer; she calls me right back. Star is a gem.

[Dburesh]

Please call me @ 513-222-2981 to discuss this matter as I have had 3 villas & a home sold in TV within the last 7 years, Doreen

[JMintzer]

When your contract is over, get a real estate company outside TV

And they will not be able to show you any of the homes listed with The Villages...

[manaboutown]

If someone is employed by and representing a developer or builder, they are not required to have a real estate license. At least that was the way it was when I was a real estate broker.

Yes, I believe you are correct regarding the sale of new homes from a builder or developer, but not to resales as I understand it.

[JMintzer]

you get what you deserve because you failed to be smart and go with sally love realty on 466a. She is the biggest and the very best and far superior when selling used homes in the villages. You get what you pay for....

And I'm sure there is someone who is not happy with her, as well...

[JMintzer]

They do, and they are. They are NOT part any local board of Realtors nor do they belong to ANY MLS service.

And?

All that means is they can only show homes listed with The Villages Realty. Something MLS agents CANNOT DO...

[JMintzer]

They do have to have a real estate license. It’s just that The Billages do not belong to the state board of realtors so they can not list thru mls and do not have to follow the standard of rules snd conduct associated with the state board of realtors.

You mean the "guidelines" set by the realtors board. It has nothing to do with the "State"...

ALL real estate agents (whether they have the title "realtor" or not) must abide by the same "STATE" rules...

[DAVES]

Like anything else there is an art to resolving any issue. First and important thing is to understand what you want. Is the goal to get someone fired or to get the matter resolved. What to do and how to do it is likely slightly different. Old fashioned, even strange, I find return receipt letters to be very effective.

[JMintzer]

If someone is employed by and representing a developer or builder, they are not required to have a real estate license. At least that was the way it was when I was a real estate broker.

Were you a real estate agent/broker in FL?

What once was is not the same as what is now...

From TV website:

"In addition to being licensed Florida real estate agents, our team of over 280 agents receives frequent, professional education beyond the state's continuing education requirements on customer care, product knowledge, and the latest information pertaining to the lifestyle we all enjoy."

[DAVES]

You mean the "guidelines" set by the realtors board. It has nothing to do with the "State"...

ALL real estate agents (whether they have the title "realtor" or not) must abide by the same "STATE" rules...

It maybe different in Florida. I had an issue with a realtor, years ago. I had a written offer on a home. It was a different time and a different place. It was a fairly common practice for CASH to pass under the table. The home showed sold for less than my offer. I contacted the realtor broker association. They want me to appear before them with my documentation. I asked what would happen and i was told after review the broker would be subject to fines.
Who would get that money-THE BROKER ASSOCIATION. So they expected me to take time off from work to police their members AND GET NOTHING FOR IT?

[gighilton]

If you contact Cheryl McDaniel with The Villages Real Estate, or request here even now, you will get great service, follow through detail, and probably your home sold very quickly. She has sold me the first one and resold it in 2 weeks last august and bought another home and all went perfectly fine. Also, her husband has a fix up company that will do most fixups you need to get the home listed listed. She currently works out of Brownwood office.

[DAVES]

Thanks for the reply. I always heard the houses sell very fast here so I didn't think about the 90 day term and any stipulations to add. I now learned.

Everything is negotiable.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

we have a new home and will never use the villages. we were told we would meet the bilder no . we were told a lot and got not we will sell on fsbo and we will be happy

You will never be able to buy a "new" home at the Villages, if you don't use the Villages to sell it. The developer owns the property, they have the right to pick their own sales representation. For the developer, that is their own real estate division. No one else is allowed to sell new properties at the Villages.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

You don't have to be a real estate agent to sell a house. Anyone can sell their own house, without any agent representative or licensing at all. They can sell their mom's house too if mom says they can. But if they want to call themselves a Real Estate Agent they have to have a license.

[retiredguy123]

If someone is employed by and representing a developer or builder, they are not required to have a real estate license. At least that was the way it was when I was a real estate broker.
Theoretically, that is true as long as they are paid an hourly rate or salary. But, if they are paid a commission, based on the sales price of a house, they must be licensed or they are violating the law. However, I have been told by several Villages agents, that all employees involved in the showing and sale of new and pre-owned houses in The Villages are licensed real estate agents. That is a Villages requirement.

[nancyre]

Why not file a complaint with the state's regulatory department?

Here is their form.

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/re/documents/re-2200-1.pdf

They are not real estate agents or brokers. They are the Villages sales reps.

[retiredguy123]

They are not real estate agents or brokers. They are the Villages sales reps.
If they are being paid a percentage of the sales price (commission), they are either licensed real estate agents, or they are in violation of Florida law. You cannot sell real estate on commission unless you have a Florida real estate license.

[VillagerQ]

This isn't true. They have to be licensed.

[Bogie Shooter]

All real estate agents must be state licensees.

That is not correct. None of The Villages agents are Realtors because The Villages, as a broker, is not a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). But, all of The Villages agents are licensed by the state to sell real estate. It is illegal to sell real estate on a commission basis without a license.

They do, and they are. They are NOT part any local board of Realtors nor do they belong to ANY MLS service.

They do have to have a real estate license. It’s just that The Billages do not belong to the state board of realtors so they can not list thru mls and do not have to follow the standard of rules snd conduct associated with the state board of realtors.

They all have a state license and not a member of MLS

If someone is employed by and representing a developer or builder, they are not required to have a real estate license. At least that was the way it was when I was a real estate broker.

Yes, I believe you are correct regarding the sale of new homes from a builder or developer, but not to resales as I understand it.

Were you a real estate agent/broker in FL?

What once was is not the same as what is now...

From TV website:

"In addition to being licensed Florida real estate agents, our team of over 280 agents receives frequent, professional education beyond the state's continuing education requirements on customer care, product knowledge, and the latest information pertaining to the lifestyle we all enjoy."

You don't have to be a real estate agent to sell a house. Anyone can sell their own house, without any agent representative or licensing at all. They can sell their mom's house too if mom says they can. But if they want to call themselves a Real Estate Agent they have to have a license.

Theoretically, that is true as long as they are paid an hourly rate or salary. But, if they are paid a commission, based on the sales price of a house, they must be licensed or they are violating the law. However, I have been told by several Villages agents, that all employees involved in the showing and sale of new and pre-owned houses in The Villages are licensed real estate agents. That is a Villages requirement.

This isn't true. They have to be licensed.

So, there it is they need and have a state license. Whew!

[joelfmi]

I listed my home with a Village real estate agent named Debbie Sander in August. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, I asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, I had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

As the weeks go on, I emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions I emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her I have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying I have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, I left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a Monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On December 2nd, I left a voice mail with Debbie Sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back ASAP. To this day, I haven't heard from her. I since met with the Villages Sales Office manager and learned that Debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another Village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, I will go with a MLS agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, I just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a Village realtor. In my opinion, I don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, I always wondered about a realtor using their High School picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties. What you see and dont hear is very important

[tophcfa]

I listed my home with a Village real estate agent named Debbie Sander in August. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, I asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, I had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

As the weeks go on, I emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions I emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her I have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying I have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, I left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a Monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On December 2nd, I left a voice mail with Debbie Sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back ASAP. To this day, I haven't heard from her. I since met with the Villages Sales Office manager and learned that Debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another Village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, I will go with a MLS agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, I just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a Village realtor. In my opinion, I don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, I always wondered about a realtor using their High School picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties.

Most real estate agents, including those working for the Villages, are generally pretty good. Just like with any profession, sometimes you come across a rotten egg. Not to be harsh, but this is kind of on you. Despite a bad experience right from the get go, you didn’t dump her. Since you were hiring her to sell what is probably one of, if not your single most valuable asset, she should have been on a short leash.

[JMintzer]

They are not real estate agents or brokers. They are the Villages sales reps.

Incorrect. They most certainly ARE licensed real estate agents...

From TV website (for the 3rd time):

"In addition to being licensed Florida real estate agents, our team of over 280 agents receives frequent, professional education beyond the state's continuing education requirements on customer care, product knowledge, and the latest information pertaining to the lifestyle we all enjoy."

[JMintzer]

So, there it is they need and have a state license. Whew!

Hence my pet peeve that so many are quick to respond without actually reading the thread...

[dhsmith]

Just stop it people it doesn’t matter if you are a MLS, Realtor, or a licensed real estate sales agent the problem was she didn’t respond to the customers requests.It doesn’t matter what you are.Just stop this stupid banter back and forth it doesn’t matter.
And if you want to cancel the 6 month contract just write a letter to them and they will let you out of it.They probably will be glad to let you go.

[yankygrl]

Incorrect. They most certainly ARE licensed real estate agents...

From TV website (for the 3rd time):

"In addition to being licensed Florida real estate agents, our team of over 280 agents receives frequent, professional education beyond the state's continuing education requirements on customer care, product knowledge, and the latest information pertaining to the lifestyle we all enjoy."

Most that work for The Villages ARE NOT REALTORS but they are sales reps.

[Nucky]

Our first Villages agent when we arrived was horrendous and despicable and lazy.

The second agent is a Cracker Jack! Goes beyond the call of duty and doesn't wait for things to happen, she makes things happen. She has the energy of a military person from Sparta. When I'm about to drop she motivates me to keep looking. Even my wife, The Energizer Bunny is impressed and that in itself is not an easy trick to pull off!

They are not all bad. I'm so happy I gave this woman a chance. I'll reveal her identity after my deals are signed sealed and done, done, done. She's one in a million. She loves her job. I'm impressed.

[JMintzer]

Most that work for The Villages ARE NOT REALTORS but they are sales reps.

OH... MY... GOD... Just shoot me...

[Garywt]

All real estate agents must be state licensees.

These are not real estate agents.

[Garywt]

Thanks for the info but our house will not hit the market until we are both dead. Did you call the agent you bought the house from.

[Hardlyworking]

A Realtor is a trade designation which you pay for to be called such. It has no legal bearing on a person’s qualifications sell real estate.

[riley2011]

We had a substandard agent when we bought here. We contacted The Villages and asked for a different agent, no problem.
Rather than reporting to the attorney general, etc etc. why not take a deep breath and forget it , don't let it bother you. Release.
I'm sure she doesn't care.

And just let her get away with lousy service. I feel sorry for the next person who gets stuck with her.

[Susan1717]

TV agents are NOT state licensed agents snd do not follow those rules. I had an awful experience selling my house with a TV agent and would never use them again! They used my open house to talk people into buying new builds instead! So many bad things happened that I went to the management in Sumpter office to file a complaint and they finally gave me a new Tav agent that went overboard for me. They would not let me out of the contract and beware!!!!! There’s sneaky clauses that keep you tied to them way longer than you think!! I had many sleepless nights and the worse experience in any house sale I’ve ever had!

[Hardlyworking]

TV agents are NOT state licensed agents snd do not follow those rules. I had an awful experience selling my house with a TV agent and would never use them again! They used my open house to talk people into buying new builds instead! So many bad things happened that I went to the management in Sumpter office to file a complaint and they finally gave me a new Tav agent that went overboard for me. They would not let me out of the contract and beware!!!!! There’s sneaky clauses that keep you tied to them way longer than you think!! I had many sleepless nights and the worse experience in any house sale I’ve ever had!

You are wrong on 2 points. They are licensed by the state and it is Sumter not Sumpter.

You can verify any real estate agents status with the state of Florida here:

Licensing Portal - License Search (https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID=&brd=&typ=)

[SusanStCatherine]

we have a new home and will never use the villages. we were told we would meet the bilder no . we were told a lot and got not we will sell on fsbo and we will be happy

We met our builder and he has decided to not be accountable so that doesn't help. We were told "the warranty department is wonderful and will fix everything" - not true for us.

[Debset]

I forgot to mention yesterday, I had a few questions for Debbie Sander while searching for a home, she responded to me right away even while she was away. I never had any issues with this agent whatsoever.

[JMintzer]

You are wrong on 2 points. They are licensed by the state and it is Sumter not Sumpter.

You can verify any real estate agents status with the state of Florida here:

Licensing Portal - License Search (https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID=&brd=&typ=)

Don't bother. I've already posted the correct information 3 TIMES in this thread. Others have posted it, as well.

No one bothers to read the thread before spouting off with incorrect info...

It's maddening...

[Hardlyworking]

Don't bother. I've already posted the correct information 3 TIMES in this thread. Others have posted it, as well.

No one bothers to read the thread before spouting off with incorrect info...

It's maddening...

We must counter the “repeat a lie enough times…” mindset with the truth.

[Rodneysblue]

I listed my home with a Village real estate agent named Debbie Sander in August. From the start, my service from her was substandard.

In the beginning and talking with her in person, I asked her to send me a copy of the signed agreement. She never did. I asked again and she sends me a blank one. I finally got a signed one after a few calls.

Early on, I had to text her something important about the house and then days go by (or a week) and no response. I had to actually go to my open house just to talk to her. She told me her phone was "broken."

As the weeks go on, I emailed her, text her and left messages on her phone and no response. She did call me a week later about something else but never addressed my questions I emailed her about earlier. She said she must have gotten back to me and said she'll look at her phone logs. I told her I have phone logs as well and she changed the subject. She was also supposed to send me a contact name for a person regarding a small project around the house, you guessed it !- it never happened.

On one occasion, her assistant emailed me at 2:47pm saying I have a showing at 2:30pm that same day. Luckily, I left the house hours ahead for an appointment. Also her assistant emailed me on a Monday about something unimportant and then telling me to have a nice weekend. Ditzy?

On December 2nd, I left a voice mail with Debbie Sander saying i have something important to say and to call me back ASAP. To this day, I haven't heard from her. I since met with the Villages Sales Office manager and learned that Debbie had lied to me about sales statistics. I have now continued the listing contract with another Village realtor. If this original (long) 6 month contract expires, I will go with a MLS agent.

I'm sure many of you had pleasant experiences with her but, I just wanted to share mine and relay some information about her to help anyone make a discission if listing their home with a Village realtor. In my opinion, I don't think she's 100% coherent. Plus, I always wondered about a realtor using their High School picture on their business cards when you're in your sixties.

So sorry you had a bad experience. Our Villages agent went above and beyond our expectation.

[marie&tim]

Sorry you had a bad experience with Debbie. We have bought and sold thru Debbie. She got great results for us and I would recommend her to all my family and friends. She is the Villages number one sales person and I would definitely use her again.

[JMintzer]

So sorry you had a bad experience. Our Villages agent went above and beyond our expectation.

As did ours...

[SusanStCatherine]

Denbal82 thank you for speaking out. I know someone who had great difficulty with her as well. Sometimes it's not just you.

[Pairadocs]

I have not listed a house with The Villages. However, when I have listed a house, the maximum listing contract I would agree to was 90 days. And, the contract would include a clause that said, if I lose confidence in the agent or broker, I can fire them at any time. The Villages has some good, experienced agents. Your listing contract is with The Villages, not the individual agent. Also, when listing a house for sale, I always wanted to know the names of the top selling agents in the brokerage. Why not use the best?

Came to all the conclusions you mentioned, but AFTER some really upsetting experiences (in other states). Finally learned, "the hard way" as my dad used to say ! Took two experiences at selling (cigarette butts on the garage floor because the "agent" did not want to "offend" a possible buyer, but didn't mind offending us who did not appreciate smoking in a CLOSED garage in winter with gasoline can present... the mos important factor was POSSIBLE COMMISSION FOR AGENT, not our wishes. Had signed contract with another agent that CLEARLY states no showings with less than 24 notice. Completely ignored that clause, even came by with client wanting in when husband had just arrived home from surgery. Had she made the call 24 hours before, we could have let her know he would be coming home that day. Many lessons to learn, 90 max on a contract, and you have to spell out each and every point with NO "wiggle room". If they break one of the contract's terms... the listing is automatically null and void. It's the only way to NOT be walked all over by a disrespectful agent. There are MANY who do respect their client's rights, homes, and privacy. Some.... definitely do not !

[newgirl]

The broker needs to know this. Sadly, they are not Realtors, they work only for the developer so they do not have to abide by the code of ethics or most other buyer/seller type relationship rules.

[newgirl]

This may work here( although newer agents can be amazing, they have a passion and want to succeed so usually will go the extra mile to make a name for themselves. ) but I sold Real Estate for 20 yrs in Traverse City, Michigan, and would never take a listing for 90 days unless the market was a seller's market. Village sales people do not have the expenses an MLS Realtor has, I put a lot of money and time into my listings ( in 2000 it cost $25 just to put an ad in the paper, add all the other marketing and I spent over $50.000 a yr just on pictures, etc). Today is different because the internet takes away 50% or more of the time, and now it is about websites but there still, MLS agents do not get paid until they close a deal.

[Hardlyworking]

This may work here( although newer agents can be amazing, they have a passion and want to succeed so usually will go the extra mile to make a name for themselves. ) but I sold Real Estate for 20 yrs in Traverse City, Michigan, and would never take a listing for 90 days unless the market was a seller's market. Village sales people do not have the expenses an MLS Realtor has, I put a lot of money and time into my listings ( in 2000 it cost $25 just to put an ad in the paper, add all the other marketing and I spent over $50.000 a yr just on pictures, etc). Today is different because the internet takes away 50% or more of the time, and now it is about websites but there still, MLS agents do not get paid until they close a deal.

Working on commission is a very motivating factor. If you don’t work hard you won’t succeed.

[newgirl]

Oh yes, it does! Who a Realtor is working for makes a huge difference, and being a sales person for a developer and a Realtor, are different in so many ways...

[Croan]

My understanding is that Villages "realtors" do not necessarily have to have a real estate license. They do not use MLS and they are contractors contracted to TV.

The people who sell for TV, are Florida licensed sales agents not REALTORS. Developer LICENSEES obtain their license through the State of Florida, just like MLS Realtors. The Developer has their own sale system (go online to the Villages app to find Developer listed resale properties ). The Developer has chosen NOT to affiliate with the Realtor community. The Developer does not share their listings with the MLS community. The Developer does NOT share new construction listings with the MLS community.

If you are a REALTOR, you are a member of the local multiple listing service MLS (sharing your listings to other MLS member offices and Realtors) and the local Realtor Association. You are a member of the Florida State Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. You have a Code of Ethics to adhere to. You have MLS rules in which to abide. You do NOT have access to ANY of the Developer listings, new construction or resale properties. And you do not share your MLS listings with the Developer community sales team.

As a Developer's licensee, you are NOT a Realtor, yet you ARE a Florida licensed sales agent. While there are good licensees in both organizations, please don't confuse the difference between a licensee and a Realtor. The standards are much higher for a Realtor as prescribed by their rules and regulations (ie: Code of Ethics).

I know the difference. I am a REALTOR, still licensed in my former state and have been for many, many years.

[retiredguy123]

The people who sell for TV, are Florida licensed sales agents not REALTORS. Developer LICENSEES obtain their license through the State of Florida, just like MLS Realtors. The Developer has their own sale system (go online to the Villages app to find Developer listed resale properties ). The Developer has chosen NOT to affiliate with the Realtor community. The Developer does not share their listings with the MLS community. The Developer does NOT share new construction listings with the MLS community.

If you are a REALTOR, you are a member of the local multiple listing service MLS (sharing your listings to other MLS member offices and Realtors) and the local Realtor Association. You are a member of the Florida State Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. You have a Code of Ethics to adhere to. You have MLS rules in which to abide. You do NOT have access to ANY of the Developer listings, new construction or resale properties. And you do not share your MLS listings with the Developer community sales team.

As a Developer's licensee, you are NOT a Realtor, yet you ARE a Florida licensed sales agent. While there are good licensees in both organizations, please don't confuse the difference between a licensee and a Realtor. The standards are much higher for a Realtor as prescribed by their rules and regulations (ie: Code of Ethics).

I know the difference. I am a REALTOR, still licensed in my former state and have been for many, many years.
Most of what you said is accurate, but I don't think that many non-Realtor licensed agents would agree that the standards are higher for a Realtor. The NAR is a lot about advertising, collecting money, and tooting their own horn.

[MillerD]

Thanks for the reply. I always heard the houses sell very fast here so I didn't think about the 90 day term and any stipulations to add. I now learned.
Not a resale. They can take a very long time as you're always up against the new homes that list lower than the used homes.

[manaboutown]

The people who sell for TV, are Florida licensed sales agents not REALTORS. Developer LICENSEES obtain their license through the State of Florida, just like MLS Realtors. The Developer has their own sale system (go online to the Villages app to find Developer listed resale properties ). The Developer has chosen NOT to affiliate with the Realtor community. The Developer does not share their listings with the MLS community. The Developer does NOT share new construction listings with the MLS community.

If you are a REALTOR, you are a member of the local multiple listing service MLS (sharing your listings to other MLS member offices and Realtors) and the local Realtor Association. You are a member of the Florida State Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. You have a Code of Ethics to adhere to. You have MLS rules in which to abide. You do NOT have access to ANY of the Developer listings, new construction or resale properties. And you do not share your MLS listings with the Developer community sales team.

As a Developer's licensee, you are NOT a Realtor, yet you ARE a Florida licensed sales agent. While there are good licensees in both organizations, please don't confuse the difference between a licensee and a Realtor. The standards are much higher for a Realtor as prescribed by their rules and regulations (ie: Code of Ethics).

I know the difference. I am a REALTOR, still licensed in my former state and have been for many, many years.

Many VLS agents were successful Realtors in the past, including the subject agent referenced by the OP.

BTW friends of mine who have bought and sold numerous homes both for personal use and investment have experienced Realtors prioritizing listings by the commissions and bonuses they would receive. From the back seat of the car one friend looked over the shoulder of Daughter Realtor who had the listings on a sheet of paper instructing Mom Realtor, the driver, which house to visit next. They started with the highest commission/bonus house first and worked their way down toward the lowest. lol.

My experience with my first VLS agent was disappointing in that even after repeated requests he passively refused to show me even a single resale house. He aggressively steered me to buy a new house and only took me to new spec houses. My guess is VLS agents are incentivized to push new houses as selling new homes is the meat and potatoes of the development business; resales are gravy and icing on the cake - obviously a lot of gravy and icing in The Villages.

[Stu from NYC]

Not a resale. They can take a very long time as you're always up against the new homes that list lower than the used homes.

As long as you price your resale to the market they typically will sell quickly.

[KatieRN]

Our first Villages agent when we arrived was horrendous and despicable and lazy.

The second agent is a Cracker Jack! Goes beyond the call of duty and doesn't wait for things to happen, she makes things happen. She has the energy of a military person from Sparta. When I'm about to drop she motivates me to keep looking. Even my wife, The Energizer Bunny is impressed and that in itself is not an easy trick to pull off!

They are not all bad. I'm so happy I gave this woman a chance. I'll reveal her identity after my deals are signed sealed and done, done, done. She's one in a million. She loves her job. I'm impressed.
I wonder if she's the same one I have. She's got so much energy she's exhausting sometimes;)

[Bogie Shooter]

Not a resale. They can take a very long time as you're always up against the new homes that list lower than the used homes.

Priced right and desirable this is not true……

[Floridajimmie]

All of the real estate agents who sell homes in the villages have the same licenses. The only difference is the villages does not belong to MLS. If they did any agent could buy or list any property in or out of the villages. The owners of the villages wants to have a say in marketing and make it more attractive to work for the villages. Who do you call from another state to buy. The villages office. Get it?

[wvgal]

I'm so glad that someone finally said it. In our opinion, she is horrible. A couple of years ago we were under contract for a house she had listed. A major issue was not disclosed and we had to get a lawyer to get our deposit back even though we had concrete proof that both she and the owners were well aware of the issue. After that, we refused to look at any house that she had listed.
You'd be wise to avoid. We recommend JaLaine Callaway. She's as honest as they come.