It seems like I am meeting the most shady people in real estate. I went to perform an interior bpo today and the guy was home. When I am leaving he basically tells me to make sure that it is valued between 250-265k. He later calls me and tells me to provide him with the comps that I use (I don't know if I'm allowed to do that), and then he sends me this email:

"I'm the individual who you came out to do the BPO on, 2xxx xxxx Trail North, Minneapolis, MN xxxxx. I just wanted to follow up with you to ask you to please send me the comparable. Also, again the offer on the house is $255, 000.00 and it would be good to come around for the comps right around, $250,000.00-$265,000.00 which would help for the deal to go though. There was one offer a month ago who backed out of the deal when the lender counter offered at $260,000.00. The 1st offer was for $250,000.00.

I understand you can only go with what the market says, I just want this deal to be done with.
It was nice to meet you."

I decided to look him up on google and I find out he is an agent and his broker is actually listing his short sale home, what should I do.

One idea is to pass his email to the outfit ordering the BPO and advise the other agent that his request was passed on. I would not give the agent the comps or the report.

Okay, thanks. I was thinking he was trying to pull the wool over my eyes by not telling me he was an agent.

Maybe he should get the Bank's Collection Officer to send him the Comps!

I suppose if they wanted his input, they'd have asked him to do his own BPO.

I'm sorry to hear he has your identity. Sound's like he's quite desperate.

This happens every day. My answer is : value is based on the sold comps. Sometimes the listing agent is too low/ or way too high. It's not that you are pulling numbers out of a hat. They are documented. I usually have agents that list their short-sales too high then tell me, I am pending 35,000 lower, I need the value at this number. This property has been sitting forever and I want the bank to finally take it. lol

I am surprised that you would ask us what to do...the answer is pretty obvious. Everybody here already stated the obvious. Let me as you this, how does your agreement with the BPO provider read? If it says that it is okay to share the BPO with other paarties, then go ahead. If it states(as most do) that the info is for you and yuor client, then there should not be any question as to what you should do.

My question isn't about whether or not to give him the comps or adjust the value. My question is whether or not I should report him to the board for asking me to do that and not disclosing the fact that he is also a Realtor to me.

What's the percentage in that for you?

I'd let sleeping dogs lie . . . . the guy's already going down for the count!

I agree with vermont ........let it pass through one ear an out the other, if he wants to know the comps let him pull his own or ask the bank.

I wouldnt provide him comps or anything about the bpo, but it shouldnt bother you this much. If you can hit that value then do it. If its too low then comp it what the house is worth and move on with your life. Im given pa's, comp's, and repair list's all the time.

I'm not certain he's breaking any rules in asking you, and if he did it's almost impossible to prove he asked. If or when he calls for the comps, just mention that the terms of your agreement with the requestor prevent that, but he can always call his contact at the bank and request a copy.

Frankly I feel the guy's pain. Doesn't sound like he was threatening or trying to intimidate, just wanted some info. Do the BPO and move on.

you should already know what your obligations are for this BPO. further, what makes you think he is obligated to disclose his Realtor status to you in this case? have you read the listing?

I guess I am still confused as to what it is you need help with....what is your motivation? What do you want to get done? I do not see what the get did wrong besides annoy you.....

1. Who he is irrelevant; there is no direct relationship between you and the homeowner or the listing agent so dropping a dime on them accomplishes nothing.

Your relationship is with the one who gave you the BPO.

2. Don't give value or comps to anyone except the BPO provider.

3. I guess he got your email from your business card?

4. Grow some balls, nerve or whatever and tell them. I am preparing the BPO, the comps will dictate what the value is; I do not want your comps and will not be disclosing value to you. Thank you for sharing.

one thing you shouldn't discuss the value of the property you would come up with, now if your value came close to what he is saying or same... that fine just don't let him influence your price openion, if it was way off. just put yours and you could report him to your board as that is an authics issue.. I normally tell the home owner when they aske me for a copy or they just wanted to know what value I come up with, I tell them I get paid by the bank for the information and they don't wish me to shar it with any one

Every agent who has met an owner or listing agent at the home for an interior inspection, has probably been thru something similar. Sometimes the listing agent meets me and hands me his comps. More times than not he will tell me the offer. It's hard to just look at someone and not say anything, or "I can appreciate your efforts, but I do not need them, I am a licensed agent with access to the MLS and tax records."
Short sales are many times long drawn out ordeals that make owners and list agents alittle crazy. Both parties would like to see an end to their problem of getting the house sold. Desparate people do desparate things. They can't control what the bank is doing and they are hoping in someway,someone else can. I can see how they are hoping that I'm the one that might have some sort of "power" to get the deal wrapped up.
Unfortunately we know that we don't have any control over what's going on their end. And our obligation is to the company that hired us. The less said the better, you don't have to explain anything to the owner or the listing agent. Because you're a realtor you might feel some need to engage in some kind of "real"conversation, don't. Try not to say anymore than you have to; although I offer my card, I can see that perhaps I should offer it only when asked.
If the situation merits it, and I feel someone has crossed the line, I have called my employer and stated what occurred. I try not to over dramatize the facts. Listing agent met me at the home and attempted to supply me with details of the offer and comps. Comps provided by this evaluator were based on fair market values in the current market.
You know when someone has crossed the line. You also know what your job is and who is paying you to do your best work. You are not part of any negotiations in this deal. (Sometimes we see the other side too, the company that hired us questioning our values and we don't like that either! Maybe there are two previous bpos that don't support YOUR values and that can turn out to be a little crazy too! In either case, you will find that the more someone tells you what to find, the more you distracted you will become in performing YOUR job.
The sooner you take your job as a bpo agent more seriously ( ie you forget that it's only 80 bucks, and take the easiest way out) the sooner you will become more confident about the work you produce.
In my opinion ( no pun intended) the hardest part of the bpo is finding the comps, once I find the comps based on the subject's parameters and sometimes that took hours in the beginning filling out the form, is a piece of cake.

This may have been more infor than was called for but it wasn't that long ago that I was met for the FIRST time by a listing agent or intimidating owner. Same with QC,it's also a little intimidating to be told there is another bpo that doesn't match up with your values, and be asked if you might need to change something on your report.
The more experience you get, the easier it is to define your work.

Char K

Thanks for your input, he handed me comps as well saying they were from his broker and he later called me after sending me his email to let me know he has family members who are interested in buying homes (blah,blah,blah)I knew he was an agent because with Protk you have to input the sales data of the property and that is how I found his info. Funny thing is I almost signed up with his broker at one time. I'm happy to have this out of the way and I'll be prepared for the same scenario in the future.

In FL it is a requirement that an agent disclose if they or anyone in their family is listing the property. "Dropping a dime" on them helps to keep the system in check. I am sorry that the agent is going through what they are going through but I also believe that ethics are not determined by your current situation. You have them or you don't.

Do what your agreement with your customer requires.