The previous reviewer was clearly a Crossroads representative (all fluff, no substance – I’m not at all surprised by this shady behavior).
As a seller, I had a deplorable experience with the office’s “top agent”, Hans Dhingra. He did not show up on multiple occasions as agreed to drop off a lock box. I had to stay home over the long weekend to answer the door for potential buyers and to wait for him to drop off the box (that I never received).
His listing description contained numerous inaccuracies and no mention of the upgrades and other selling features of the home. I created my own description of the home for him to post. He posted a single picture of the exterior of the home from 20 years ago when the home obviously did not look as nice outside. I took my own pictures of the home for him to post.
He was routinely unreachable to myself and his office. He did not reply to any emails. He based the selling price of the home on “comparables” on the street. I thought the amount was way under value. Upon further investigation, I learned the “comparables” he referred to were on the other side of the crescent that we live on – where the quads and semis are. Our home is detached. How could it rightly be in the same price range? Plus I looked at pictures of these other homes and they had no upgrades. My ex-husband does renovations. We put in hardwood, crown moulding, new washrooms etc. And our house was still somehow worth the same or less than these other homes. He dismissed my requests to raise the price of the home. It became clear he just wanted a quick sale/ quick commission.
The home was only on the market for about two days. The only time I actually saw him, he hurriedly prepared a contract for me to sign. I told him I needed more time to think about it as my ex-husband was asking him to leave. He continued insisting that I sign the contract while we stood outside his car – I did and he left.
Given the problems I was having with him, I asked to transfer to another agent of my choosing. Though he initially confirmed in writing that would be fine, he later said the other agent could be co-broker, doing all the leg work at a rate of 0%, while his office cashed in as co-broker. I insisted this was unethical and his office later changed the terminology used and instead called this fee a “referral fee”. The Office Manager, Lois Hampton and Broker Barney Johnson were entirely unaccommodating and dismissive of my concerns. Barney was also unreachable and did not reply to emails until I reported the company to RECO, at which time, he emailed that he read my “lengthy emails” and essentially, couldn’t care less. It has been over two months and my home is still not on the market because they are using the contract to prevent me from doing anything with the home. No one is living in the home and I continue to pay numerous bills. RECO has advised they are unable to assist. In the end, after I had done all of the work for the listing and had the sale of the home delayed for over two months now, costing thousands, it looks like I will have to agree to give him a percentage of the new agent’s commission – essentially, pay him for all the stress and headache he and his office have caused.
Sellers are entirely at the mercy of the real estate office once they have signed – even if entirely dissatisfied. Think twice before signing a contract. Think several times before signing one with Re/Max Crossroads.