I have never heard of this either.  I'd suggest contacting the state association's legal hotline.

I'm confuzzled. The BUYER is paying a fee TO SEE?
If I was a buyer, I would skip that property.**
Also . . . the agent is already collecting the FULL pop if they have the listing and the buyer is unrep.
So they're trying to get more on top of all.
And that % is % of WHAT? The asking price or the deal price?
I have to laugh, though.
Buyers need their own agent more than they know.
Also, does seller know this? I'd be 50 shades of pissed off that my broker was extorting from buyers. For reasons already stated.**

If that agent can get it paid, more power to her. I don't know that I would charge to show a client's home, but I would charge 1% to be involved in the transaction... there's lots to do once a contract is signed that the lawyer won't do that takes up a lot of time. Time is money. And if her clients do not want to show with seeing financial capability upfront, she's just following their instructions.

It doesn't sound like the listing agent is acting in the best interest of the seller (their client).  This could be determined to violate their fiduciary duties.

I've never heard of that happening..... keep it clean and get them a buyer agent to represent them.... just saying! this is what happens when buyers do not have a buyer agent to guide them.... 

Sounds like a total idiot...

I am willing to bet the seller is not aware of how badly the LA is trying to line his pockets at the expense of not selling the property.

Eve

I've never seen this, However, in CA, the default listing contracts states a percentage (5-6%) to the listing agent, who may share that with another agent if buyers are represented.  IF they are not represented, the listing agent gets it all, even if they are not representing the buyer. So there is no need to charge buyers any extra. 

So, if you have a house listed for $300,000... you want a $3,000 fee from unrepresented buyers just to show the property??

I don't know if it's ethical, but it sure ain't normal nor professional. 

It is, however, a good way to make sure that no unrepresented buyers view the property, and I doubt that's okay with your seller.

Unusual. 

If the buyer has an agent, the fee to the agent would be covered by the co-broke agreement if the showing results in a sale. I don't know your local law, but it seems rather unethical for the LISTING agent to charge buyers to show their listing when they are already getting paid ?... 

What Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041 said.

The buyer is not using an agent. An attorney is writing the offer and I believe attorneys in VA get paid the coop commission, so basically the attorney is filling out the contract, collecting the commission and that is it.

Have never run across it so my memory is a little fuzzy, but if that is the case, guess who gets paid but does not show up fot home inspections, or for walk throughs or for any myriad things buyers for which access to the house?

How does the seller feel?  That is the 64 dollar question, of course, but the agent is basically trying to push the buyers to using an agent so they, the LA, won’t get stuck doing much of the running around on behalf of the buyer. 

If the agent is a local member of the re board and has sentrilock access, then okay, then, but if not, I am not as upset with the LA as most seem to be.  Again, may not be my path but frankly, we have a robust market where I am and it is not always necessary to bend over backwards doing someone else’s job for them.

Great concept but it would not fly with my Sellers or Buyers for that matter.

Wow, what a jackass. Let the buyer decide if they want to pay the 1% fee. I think the LA is blowing these people off as he's definately hoping they will not take the offer.

That is not acting in the sellers interests. Someone should call the legal hotline on this one.

What?  Seriously?  Sounds suspicious to me.  

Save the email and and any communication from that agent. The agents broker, the board, and the sellers might be interested in seeing it if it turns out that agent is full of bs, which is what it sounds like.

Certainly not a normal situation.

I admire this agent for trying to get paid well, but they could use a little grammar coaching.

From my point of view that is not what the listing agent is saying.

What the listing agent is saying is "HIRE A REALTOR to represent you. Things will work much better that way."

So the buyer WANTS to fly in defiance of convention, and that could prove expensive. It is the buyers call to make. The listing agent is simply trying to direct the buyer in a direction of less pain and better representation.

This actually is a good response for those agents who are licensed in states where closing are NOT managed by attorneys.

I would like to hear from a savvy Virginia agent like Susan Haughton .  This sounds strange to me!

CA standing by for this answer out of curiosity.

That's a great way to let a rogue buyer know that it's SMART to have their OWN representation!

As for charging a fee - a lot of agents charge renters a fee for showing homes here. I can't say whether it's legal or illegal though in your state. I would have to seek legal counsel on this topic. 

However, I would question whether the sellers' agent is doing the right thing when it comes to his/her fiduciary to the seller. That's really the question for me. Does the seller know that the agent is doing this?

Very unusual, parked and reading. 

The listing agent appears to me to be violating their fiduciary duty to the seller by trying to line their pocket with an exorbitant “showing fee” in order to forestall having to show the house to a qualified buyer… in addition to the full commission the listing agent would want to retain in the case of an unrepresented buyer buying the house.

Who is paying the attorney? Can’t pay a commission to someone who is not licensed to sell real estate.

That is unheard of in NH. As a listing agent it is my job to sell my listing and that is showing buyers with a buyer agent or without. I do not charge an extra fee to the buyer as the seller is already paying me to sell the home. 

  What is this house?  Buckingham Palace?  The Taj Majal?

  Buyer should trash that letter, forget this place, and move on.

Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA nailed this one!

Candice A. Donofrio asked all the right questions! Someone is greedy or has a clause in the listing agreement reducing the commission if the buyer is unrepresented. Very strange!

Since you only provided a quote from the agents email and not the whole email i can not make a valid observation. In the agents defense, there will be additional costs associated with dealing with an attorney written contract as compared to dealing with the state provided, fill in the blank sales contract. Typically, your attorney will write the contract with everthing in your favor and detrimental to the seller which will require the seller to have an attorney do the same. This can be very expensive for the seller who will be looking to their agent to share that cost.

There would be a very high likely hood that i would recommend my seller reject your offer just based on the attorney written contract as it makes you appear to be a litigious personality. Not to be mean but you are not the only buyer out there.

Sean Adams - good answer from Candice A. Donofrio 

Commissions are negotiable and so are business models. The consumer has the choice to go elsewhere.

We have not seen this in Denver.

In my area we just sign them as a dual agent client and and keep both sides

Never heard of that before.

I'm in CA and would be surprised to hear anyone is doing it since we have so many agents.... competition is brutal. Yet, I know few very posh agents who have a waiting list, so... those ''stars'' might charge an extra fee, but never for just showing houses.

How much was that house?

Yes Virginia, there is a Sant5a Claus.

I don't know anything about Virginia however on the surface this seems like a bait and switch ... shady at best.

The commission stated in mls is what the seller will pay.

I've never heard of anything like this.  I don't know the laws in Virginia, but I'm going to guess that an agent can charge whatever they want.

??