A real estate agent is supposed to help facilitate a transaction, protect their client’s interests and make an already complicated process easier to navigate.
But what happens when the agent becomes part of the problem?
I’m not talking about inexperienced agents. I recently wrote about agents who don’t know what they don’t know and the importance of being willing to ask questions.
This is something different.
I’m talking about experienced, successful agents who may know real estate very well—but have developed a reputation for being unnecessarily difficult to work with.
And here’s what consumers may not realize:
Your Realtor’s reputation with other real estate professionals can affect you.
Let’s Call Him “Sydney”
I’m going to invent an agent for this example. Let’s call him Sydney.
Sydney has experience. Sydney sells homes. Sydney knows the business.
But every time another agent sees Sydney’s name on a listing, there’s an immediate reaction:
Oh boy. Here we go.
Why?
Sydney puts restrictions on everything.
Showing the property is unnecessarily complicated. Communication is difficult. Simple questions turn into debates. Every interaction feels adversarial. Instead of looking for ways to make a transaction work while protecting the seller, Sydney seems to look for another roadblock.
Eventually, agents remember that.
More importantly, buyers remember it too.
What Does That Mean for Sydney’s Seller?
This is the question sellers need to consider.
Suppose my buyer finds Sydney’s listing online and loves the house.
They send it to me and say:
“David, can we see this one?”
Of course.
If my buyer wants to see the house, we’re going to see the house. I’m going to represent my client and do everything I reasonably can to help them pursue the property they want.
As I sometimes say, I can play nicely in the sandbox with anybody.
But I’m also human.
When I see Sydney’s name, I already know from experience that what should be a relatively straightforward transaction could become unnecessarily difficult.
Now imagine that the buyer has dealt with Sydney before, too.
That’s where this gets interesting.
Buyers Can Be Turned Off by the Listing Agent
I’ve actually experienced situations where a buyer encountered a difficult listing agent on one property and then, just days later, found another property represented by that same agent.
The reaction wasn’t excitement.
It was:
“Oh no. Not this agent again.”
Think about that from the seller’s perspective.
Your house could be beautiful.
It could be priced correctly.
It could be exactly what the buyer wants.
Yet before that buyer ever walks through the front door, there’s already a negative feeling associated with the transaction because of the person you’ve hired to represent you.
Does that automatically mean the buyer won’t purchase your house?
Of course not.
But why would a seller want to introduce an unnecessary obstacle?
Could the Wrong Agent Cost a Seller a Buyer?
Potentially, yes.
And this is where I think sellers sometimes misunderstand the role of a listing agent.
Your listing agent isn’t simply there to put your home in the MLS, install a sign and negotiate a contract.
That agent is also your representative to the real estate community.
They communicate with buyer’s agents.
They coordinate showings.
They answer questions.
They handle offers.
They work through inspections, appraisals, financing issues, title questions and closing.
And throughout that process, they are representing you.
If their personality or communication style repeatedly creates unnecessary conflict, who’s ultimately affected?
The seller.
A perfectly qualified buyer may decide another house is easier to pursue.
Another agent may be less enthusiastic about dealing with the listing.
A minor issue that could have been resolved with a five-minute conversation may become a two-day argument.
None of that helps the seller accomplish the ultimate objective:
Getting the home sold on the best terms reasonably possible.
Representing Your Client Doesn’t Mean Fighting Everyone
This is an important distinction.
A good Realtor should absolutely advocate for their client.
I’ve been representing Central Florida buyers and sellers since 1999, and there are times when I have to be firm. There are times when I disagree with another agent. There are times when I have to say no.
That’s part of the job.
But being a strong advocate doesn’t require being difficult.
You can protect your client’s interests and still be professional.
You can disagree without being disagreeable.
You can enforce a contract without turning every conversation into a confrontation.
And you can negotiate aggressively while still treating the person on the other side of the transaction with respect.
Those aren’t conflicting ideas.
In my experience, they’re characteristics of a good negotiator.
Sometimes We Interpret Things Differently
Real estate has contracts, laws, brokerage policies, association rules, MLS requirements and established procedures.
And sometimes two experienced agents interpret a situation differently.
That’s okay.
Talk about it.
Ask questions.
If necessary, involve the appropriate brokers or professionals and determine the correct answer.
What doesn’t help anyone is turning a simple disagreement into a battle of egos.
I’ve been doing this long enough to know that I can be wrong.
So can the other agent.
The objective shouldn’t be proving who is the smartest person in the room.
The objective is protecting our clients and, when possible, getting the transaction successfully to closing.
Buyers Should Think About This Too
This isn’t only advice for sellers.
If you’re buying a home in Ocoee, Winter Garden, Windermere, Orlando, Clermont, Minneola, Gotha, Dr. Phillips, Celebration, Apopka, Davenport or elsewhere in Central Florida, your buyer’s agent’s reputation matters too.
Imagine finding your dream home in a multiple-offer situation.
Your offer is competing against another qualified buyer.
The listing agent knows your agent from previous transactions—and remembers them as professional, responsive, organized and easy to communicate with.
Now imagine the opposite.
That doesn’t determine which offer a seller chooses, nor should personality substitute for the actual terms of an offer.
But real estate transactions require people to work together.
Professional credibility matters.
Ask About an Agent’s Reputation
When interviewing a Realtor, consumers understandably ask about sales.
“How many homes have you sold?”
“How long have you been in real estate?”
“Do you know my neighborhood?”
Those are good questions.
I’d add another:
“How do you work with other agents?”
You can also read reviews and ask for references.
If you’re interviewing an agent to sell your home, pay attention to how they talk about other Realtors.
Does every story involve someone else being incompetent?
Does every transaction sound like a battle?
Is everyone else always wrong?
That might tell you something.
A successful real estate transaction often requires cooperation among buyers, sellers, Realtors, lenders, inspectors, appraisers, title professionals, insurance agents and others.
You want someone who can navigate all of those personalities without losing sight of your objective.
Real Estate Is a Small World
Central Florida may be a large real estate market, but after more than 25 years in this business, I can tell you that you encounter many of the same people again and again.
I regularly work with agents throughout Ocoee, Winter Garden, Windermere, Orlando, Clermont, Minneola, Gotha, Dr. Phillips, Celebration, Apopka, Davenport, Longwood, Altamonte Springs and the surrounding Central Florida communities.
Reputations develop.
People remember who communicates.
They remember who solves problems.
They remember who keeps their word.
And yes, they remember who makes every transaction unnecessarily difficult.
That’s why I’ve always believed you should play nicely in the sandbox.
That doesn’t mean being a pushover.
It means understanding that professionalism and cooperation aren’t weaknesses.
They’re part of doing your job well.
Your Agent Should Open Doors, Not Create Roadblocks
Whether you’re buying your first home, selling a longtime family home, purchasing a luxury property, moving to Central Florida or preparing for the next chapter of your life, the Realtor you hire becomes your representative.
Their experience matters.
Their negotiating ability matters.
Their market knowledge matters.
But so does something that’s harder to measure:
How they work with people.
A great agent should know when to push, when to listen, when to negotiate, when to compromise and when to stand firm.
Most importantly, the agent should never lose sight of whose transaction it actually is.
It’s not about the Realtor’s ego.
It’s about the buyer and the seller.
Because sometimes the biggest obstacle in a real estate transaction isn’t the inspection, the appraisal, the financing or even the house.
Sometimes it’s the people.
Make sure the Realtor you hire isn’t one of them.
About David Dorman
David Dorman, Broker Associate
CENTURY 21 Carioti
2747 Maguire Rd
Ocoee, FL 34761
407-948-8295
david@daviddorman.com
DavidDorman.com
LiveInOrlandoFL.com
Helping buyers and sellers throughout Ocoee, Winter Garden, Windermere, Orlando, Gotha, Clermont, Minneola, Dr. Phillips, Celebration, Apopka, Davenport, Longwood, Altamonte Springs and communities throughout Central Florida.
When you hire David Dorman you GET David Dorman.