Keep your eyes peeled on your real estate agent for prospective renters

[Calvin Thomas]

We manage a good amount of property around New York. From time to time, I need to hire an outside agent to help fill some of the turn overs.  This agent, I've used before, and she has about 3 years of experience.  I am not sure if she was just careless or just plain stupid, but here's the deal.  

She sent us an application and didn't disclose she was repping both sides to get 100% of the commission. I don't care about that, but her loyalty is questioned at this point a bit.  This one tenant, I was considering him, but in my 40+ years of experience, something wasn't right so I kept on asking for more documentation.  I then declined due to income and credit; which is still an area where we can decline. She came back, with her broker on the phone, stating I was being discriminatory, which I wasn't.  I then said, well, if you have him send me a signed letter from his current landlord, I will consider it. As strange as it was, I received an unsigned letter from her 10 minutes later, which she forwarded from him with a listing of the wrong landlord's name, a bad phone number, and an e-mail address to a utility company.

The moral of the story is to review everything your real estate agent sends you. Many do jack sh!t.