Real estate agents remind customers who were there to spy, not buy

He contacted me and said, “There’s a house in East Hampton that I’d like to take a look at.” It was beautifully maintained, with a asking price of just under $ 3 million. But the strange thing was that she and her boyfriend specifically told me that they didn’t want a house with a pool and that this house had a pool.

Another unusual thing was that she brought a friend with her to see him. Most of the time when I showed her a house, she was with her boyfriend. They had been a couple for some time, probably 10 years.

When I got to the show, the woman who owned the house was just leaving. The two greeted each other a little, but in a very awkward way. After the presentation, I was sitting in the backyard with the salesperson and the customer said, “You know what? I’m just going to turn around and take another quick look before we leave. “

He stayed inside for a few minutes longer than one might think for a quick glance. When we left, she said, “The owner of the house is my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. That’s why it was a little uncomfortable – I didn’t expect it to be there. ”

I know a little background about this couple and it’s kind of jealous. She was a hair-colored client, and clients tell you more than anyone else would. I put things together and thought, “Oh, I understand now.” I had the feeling that she thought her partner and ex were still seeing each other. He tied me with a rope to take her to that house to check. I don’t think he intended to buy, he just wanted to spy.

I still do my hair color and go to town one day a week to do it. It keeps me in the game.

Ban H. Leow

Real Estate Agent, Brown Harris Stevens, Brooklyn

I had a list for a co-op in Fort Greene. The seller – who did not live in the cooperative and was in no hurry to sell – had a friend who was going through a controversial divorce, with a child and a husband who wanted full custody.

Through the kindness of his heart, the salesman says to his girlfriend, “You know what? I have a place available. Why don’t you stay there and pay only for utilities? ”

We weren’t very nice about it because we’d rather show a free property. But that’s what the seller wanted, so I said, “OK, just so she knows we need access to show the apartment.”

Then I get a call from a gentleman who said he’s interested in buying the co-op for his daughter. He says, “I won’t be able to get to the show, but I’ll send my daughter.” I said “Sure.” It looked authentic.

The daughter came to see the cooperative. I didn’t suspect anything until two weeks later, when we were sent a subpoena and told to go to court. It seems that the “daughter” was a private investigator sent by her husband to report the living conditions of his ex-wife. He filmed everything in the apartment. I didn’t know, but she had a secret room during the show.

Because the apartment was a temporary residence and was not fully furnished, the husband used it against his mother, such as: “Our son was put in a very bad situation.”

And I’m responsible for being the listing agent. He said there was evidence of other things: the books he claimed were sent by a boyfriend.

When I told the salesman, she was livid. She called her husband and threatened to sue him. After this happened, his lawyer told us not to go to court. But I took the cooperative from the market, because who knows what else it could do?

The couple went to court and had joint custody. About a year has passed and the seller says that maybe he will put the cooperative back on the market in the spring. If people come up with a pretext, we can’t control it. We must follow the correct housing rules.

—Edited from interviews