Agent Advice - Fact or Fiction?

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Virginia is a “Buyer Beware” state.  That means that it is incumbent on the buyer of any real estate to perform their due diligence to ensure that what they think they are buying is what they are really
buying.

All that fancy verbiage means “It’s up to you to investigate the real estate BEFORE you sign the papers to purchase.”

Additionally, if you are SELLING a property, it’s up to you to understand the legal requirements of the jurisdiction the property is located before you offer the property for sale. 

There are many agents who understand the requirements of the jurisdictions and they should point you in the direction of the source of the requirements.  In other words, they should be the source of the source.  They should be able to direct you to the source that can answer your questions.  If they are not a licensed contractor, they may have the knowledge about certain requirements, but it is BEST PRACTICES if they direct you to the actual source of the knowledge.

Why am I saying all this?  Because there are agents out here who have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to construction.  Case in point…

Recently, I spoke with someone preparing to list their home for sale in a jurisdiction I am familiar with but currently don’t service.  They were told by their prospective agent that they are required to bring all of the electrical in their 1957 house up to today’s electrical code.  WRONG!  The agent had obtained quotes for them and the cost would be about $2,700.

Nowhere in the National or Virginia building code does it state that you must bring the electrical up to current code when you are selling a home.  You do if you have renovations done to the home.  Everything that is renovated, i.e. the bathroom or the kitchen or other rooms, must meet the code currently in place at the time of the renovations.

This agent also told these people they needed to replace all the receptacles in the home so they have 3 plugs.  If that is done, the plugs may have 3 holes to meet requirements of modern day plugs but that ground plug, which is the funny looking hole under the two slotted holes, is not grounded unless you run a ground wire to the plug.

The agent in question has been in the real estate business for at least 10 years and is giving bad information to the potential clients which in turn is causing them stress. 

All this being said, I have 3 pieces of advice for you:
  • If the agent you are contemplating hiring is telling you that you need to bring your house up to code, check with the building inspector of the jurisdiction the home is located.
  • Ask the agent for the source of any information they are giving you if it doesn’t ring true to your ears.
  • Just because an agent has 10 years of experience in the real estate business does not mean they know what they are talking about.


Seller beware when hiring an agent.

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