If you elect to use Todd, the main thing you need to know is that TODD WANTS TO BE THE ALPHA. If…read moreyou elect to go with Todd as your agent, it will be clear in his mind, and eventually in yours, that you're expected to work for Todd, not the other way around.
I regret signing with him. Were it not for the ultra competitive market that North Idaho is, I would have run the contract out on him and waited for another agent. In the end, he got a huge commission for a house that I found, negotiated the price on and coordinated all the inspections on. TODD DID NOT EVEN SHOW ON THE DAY WE TOOK POSSESSION OF THE HOME.
Before I list the reasons you may want to avoid using him as a real estate, you should know he's a good patriot. He's pro military, law enforcement and 2A and checks all those boxes - which is why you may be inclined to use him as your agent. Know this. It's North Idaho. 90% of everyone there has those same feelings, even if they don't go around reminding you of it every time you meet. If your choice is between an agent that will research properties, be in it for the long haul and not rep two other sets of buyers on the same house he's rep'ing you on, go with the other agent.
Here are some of my experiences:
1) I don't think Todd wants to be agent. He has a range on his property and that is his passion. If you offer him some type of use, some type of marketability, perhaps a discount on gun related items, a chance to claim he knows you, then you'll be taken care of. If not, you'll be a lesser priority.
2) Todd will push hard for you sign an exclusive representation agreement whether you are a seller or a buyer. But he will not pay you the same courtesy when he has multiple clients offering on the same property. In my case, he told me that his other clients competing for the same property were out when they were not, told me a seller wouldn't take me as a backup offer when he hadn't even submitted an offer and then I found out that one of his clients with more use to him...one of the ones he specifically told me was out of the running...got the buy over me.
3) Don't be surprised that if the situation in #2 happens, you will be steered to another property he has in mind, but not one you want. It sure looks like rather than one sale, he can get commissions on two sales.
4) Todd doesn't seem to have a good relationship with most of the other realtors in the area. He often talked negatively about them to me. I once was asked who my realtor was by a well known local. When I said it was Todd, the local told me that he'd never heard of Todd.
5) Todd listens okay. He'll hear what you want to buy, but if you change your mind, he'll talk down to you telling you that what you are now asking for isn't what you originally asked for. He sent me the same houses over and over despite me telling him the first time he sent them that I didn't like them. He'll send you houses well outside your price range to prove he is looking for you. You could tell him one month that a certain house is a definite NO, and he'll agree but the next month he'll send you an email of possible buys with that same house, telling you he found a winner for you.
6) Speaking of house finding, as a realtor he has access to MLS and homes coming on market before they hit Realtor.com and Zillow.com. I couldn't count on him to search MLS before the other realtors did. You need a North Idaho realtor who will work MLS daily, identifying potential matches before those listings hit the masses on the real estate apps.
7) He mentions his confidential database but beware. It wasn't long before I realized he was representing multiple buyers on the houses I was after. He confused the dollar amounts repeatedly on my offers. These were classic cut and paste errors. He once sent me another buyer's inspection report for a property that he was rep'ing me on as buyer. When I called him on it, he became defensive and phoned it in the rest of our contract.
8) Proofread everything Todd completes. Errors that I frequently observed were typos, grammar, incorrect dollar amounts and PROPERTY ADDRESSES!
9) Communication is average. He doesn't use reply all or group texts, even if you ask. Todd almost always left someone out in a reply, a text or an email for my multiple buyer group. Prepare to be frustrated...and miss a deal opportunity. And I still haven't heard from him to check in and see how things are with the new home. He must not be in the long game.
10) Pricing and strategy. He didn't pull comps to show us what an offer should look like. Not once.
11) Messy. The seller of our home was pissed after Todd went through it. How do I know? I heard about it the day I got the keys, the day Todd no showed. It says a lot that it I ever need to sell, I'll use the sellers agent and not Todd.
Last note. He's his own broker. If things go south with him, you have no one to complain to.
