Wife and I were looking at some raw land in Stephens County. Property is offered by an owner/broker. We look at the property and like it. We ask for an additional showing to see if we want to offer to buy additional acreage for sale connected to the property but the original listed is what we really want.

Agent calls last minute as we're driving out for the second showing and says he can't make it, he's sick. He gives us the gate code to go and look around. Cool. Probably prefer this anyhow.

I send him a text saying we want additional acreage and will send an offer in the morning. No response. He calls me 4 hours later and says someone else has already given an offer and they've accepted it.

The timing just sounds like they had an offer already and used us as leverage to get more. But I don't understand why they wouldn't want multiple offers. He knew I was going to send an offer, why not let me know there is another offer coming and to submit mine?

Definitely some sour grapes but also understand things like this happen.

Anything is possible but it does sound kind of sketchy. I'm a bit jaded myself though.

We've dealt with some shady characters in our search for land. We have learned to spot the people who are just fishing for a willing buyer only to reneg on asking and up the price 10% each time they sense willing buyers or receive an offer. Moral of the story, people suck.

I get asked all the time by Buyer clients - "How do we KNOW they have other offers?"

The answer is -- We don't.

"Okay, Cody...can we ask to see a copy of the other offers to PROVE it?"

Here's the answer to that one....

If an agent is willing to lie to your face about having other offers in hand (and risk punishment for violating the Code of Ethics), won't they also be willing to write up a fake offer to send over to us as proof?

Bottom line, there is absolutely no way to 100% know. There are liars and crooks in the world. You just have to make an offer that works for you, and that you will be comfortable with if you get the house. Lean on your agent to help you be aggressive, but not foolish.

AND -- in the current market, whether the other agent is ethical or not, they almost certainly have other interest, and probably other offers....it's the norm right now.

Best of luck!

Cody

We have a listing on a pretty busy thoroughfare that has been on the market almost 200 days. Not a ton of interest during that time but some. Well this weekend we had two good offers come in and when I told the third agent that called to say an offer was coming that we have two offers in hand, she pretty much called me a liar. Hell, so did the second agent (who didn't get the house). We went under contract today.

My guess is he called in sick because he had the other offer in hand and didn't want to waste him time. At the same time, he wanted to keep you on the hook in case the other offer didn't pan out.