Dear Peter,

Thank you for providing the Real Estate industry with a constructive, easy to follow, Contract of Sale document in competition to that produced by the REIV. I, like a number of my contemporaries, believe that the REIV’s lofty ideals have become a “lame duck”, having degenerated into a self perpetuating revenue generating machine, under the guise of an established, Armani wearing suit, authority.

All this aside, your underlying generalities of “Commission Estate Agents” strikes some discord with me personally.

Estate Agents, Lawyers and Used Car Salesman are the Three of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse in the public’s perception. Please note that Lawyers come a close second! Death and taxes, combined, bring up the rear.

Many hard working, non-franchisee agencies, such as ours, provide extended and value added services to our clients at no cost to them. For example, we provide house cleaning and garden maintenance at our own personal cost, to those clients who are unable, for various reasons, be it health or financial circumstances, to pay for those costs. We provide complete professional marketing at absolutely no cost our clients - Sale or No Sale. We have no exclusive contract periods.

But we do conduct private “escorted” inspections through the property. Only a fool, or some pompous desk jockey, would ever publicly recommend that you take the Estate Agent out of the Buyer/Seller liaison, inspection equation. I was a qualified security guard with Crown Casino and conducted public security and VIP hosting. In the previous company I worked for, one of their female agent's reps was lured to a vacant property and subsequently raped and murdered. Only those who have obviously, ensconced themselves in their own personal plethora of inane legal jargon and regulatory minutate would argue to the contrary. The next time someone puts a knife against your throat, lawyer or not, the legal bullshit goes out the window!

The truth of it is Peter, that there a millions of pieces of human waste out there, masquerading as citizens. Take a walk down King Street any night of the week, you’ll see what I mean. Would you like me to organise a meeting for this type of scum to visit your property when your wife and kid’s are at home, without me being present or qualifying them first before they arrive?

Best Regards

Lawrie 

Atlas Realty

Melton
 

Hi Lawrie,

I think you've answered your own question

"Would you like me to organise a meeting for this type of scum to visit your property when your wife and kid’s are at home, without me being present or qualifying them first before they arrive?"

No Lawrie, I would not want you to bring such a person to my house.  If I rely on an estate agent to conduct inspections there is every likelihood that they will bring such persons to my house and let them wander through as they please, without me knowing anything about it.

I would want to have some say as to who comes into my house, what parts of my house they have access to, and to see that they leave my things alone.  I do not want to rely on you or anyone else for this.

I, my wife, and my kids regularly answer the door to strangers, and I can assure you Lawrie that we are all more discerning than you could ever be in terms of who we will or will not allow into our house.  In this regard we, and not you, are the experts.

Finally, there is no estate agent out there who conducts escorted inspections in order to keep the client safe, or to safeguard the vendor's valuables.  The purpose of the escorted inspection has everything to do with the agent remaining in control, and nothing to do with the interests of the vendor.

Regarding the contract - I'm glad you like it, and I hope other non-REIV members take advantage of it.