Realtor vs. Non-Realtor Definitions

To a non-Realtor, the idiom, “I’m not buying it” roughly translates to, “I don’t believe your [obviously bogus] explanation.”

To Realtors, however, the phrase means something much more literal.

Namely ” at least when uttered by a Buyer’s agent ” “I’m not buying it” translates as, “I’m not buying the home . . . my client is.”

Showing Feedback

The typical context:  post-showing feedback from the buyer’s agent to the listing agent (representing the Seller), which goes something like the following:  “the home showed great, had wonderful curb appeal, and is well-priced . . . but I’m not buying it, my client is (and they weren’t crazy about it).”

If there’s a silver lining for Sellers, it’s that complimentary feedback from a showing agent ” at least one with experience and a good eye ” is a good omen.

P.S.:  To avoid confusing what the Realtor thought of the property vs. what their client thought, some feedback forms explicitly now request that the agent relate their client’s impressions.

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

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