Sex, Lies and Listings: How Far Will Brokers Go to Put a Deal to Bed?
By Jotham Sederstrom July 11, 2012 7:00 am
reprintsIf you took a behind-the-scenes peek at the things some brokers will do to get listings, you might do more than just scratch your head in wonder.
A “listing,” also known as a property that is for sale, is like the coveted holy grail of a broker’s existence. Listings are the lifeline of a broker’s success. Without listings there would be no sales, which means there would be no commissions, which means there would be no need for brokers.
The broker who controls a listing is comparable to a demigod. They totally rule the playing field. But just how far will some brokers go to get listings?
Without sounding like a cliché, the oldest trick in the book, no pun intended, is still sex.
Don’t look shocked. It took me awhile to believe this too, but there are brokers in our industry who trade sexual favors for listings.
One female broker I know would lure her victims, also referred to as “sellers,” to her house in the Hamptons under the guise of a weekend with some powerful investors. Once there, they would find out that they and this broker were the only two who showed up. Using her feminine wiles and various body parts, depending on how large the deal was, she would get him to sign her up as the exclusive agent, and, voila, the assignment was hers.
I once met a young male agent who targeted older owners, and not just of the female persuasion. Sometimes he used subtle tactics like a flirtatious site visit where he would feign carelessness and get himself locked in the basement or on the roof. He would let the seller play the hero by rescuing him from what he claimed was a near-death experience. He would then dote on the seller with random caresses and a sly wink of the eye suggesting how he would thank them. Other times he was as aggressive as a pit bull, yanking the listing from them as he yanked off their various articles of clothing.
