Sometimes, real estate transactions simply go bad. This can be due to a myriad
of possible reasons: inspections, appraisals, lending ... or, from either party
to the transaction: the buyer, the seller or the real estate agents. While remediations
for incidents vary per individual state legislation-and range from litigation
to mediation, and everything in between-whenever there's a perception that a
realtor has acted unjustly, the first action to be taken by a consumer who feels
that they have been treated unfairly should always be in the form of a formal
real estate agent complaint.
While methods for filing a real estate agent complaint do
vary from state to state, generally speaking, the best way in which to submit
a complaint about a realtor's conduct is through their licensing board. Each
state has its own licensing authority, and they should each have a web site
online, through which you can access their forms and procedures for filing a
complaint.
In most cases, you should expect to fill out a standardized form with information
such as the names of the parties, the property address to which the complaint
is being addressed and specific complaint details. You might also need to be
prepared to write a letter explaining the situation. Complaints should be mailed
to the appropriate real estate licensing authorities; they will then forward
it on to any additional parties to the complaint, if need be. Again, details
on this may be found at each individual state's real estate licensing
board web site.
Once the state licensing board has received your complaint, they will typically
open a file on both sides of the transaction. The entire transaction will be
reviewed, in detail, from both angles to determine if and where there had been
any misconduct. (This often goes well beyond the initial complaint, and if they
exist, this process will discover problems on either side of the transaction,
regardless of which side of the party has issued the complaint.) In some instances,
if there is evidence of wrongdoing on the part of a realtor, they will face
any one of several punishments, ranging from fines to losing their license-and
beyond, depending on the severity of the crime. In other instances, the case
may be referred to mediation or litigation in order to be handled by a neutral
third party. Again, the procedures will vary by state, but this is a good general
idea of what to expect when sending in a realtor complaint.
Keep in mind that just like any other legal transaction, it's important
throughout a real estate purchase to take detailed notes of correspondence and
events that transpire. This will help you tremendously-and, in fact, can
make or break a case-if you were in fact to go forward to mediation or
litigation.
For additional information on how to file a real estate agent complaint, or
for advice on how to proceed, contact your local attorney or legal representative.
Answer Submitted on Thu, Dec 29 2005
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