Ask what happens if the buyer never materialises. Say: "Great — what happens to your commission if this buyer never shows up? Let's write that into the agreement." A real buyer survives being named in the paperwork; a phantom one evaporates the moment their existence carries a cost.
Why they're saying it
The line wins listings, not sales. It pairs with a flattering appraisal to get your signature on an exclusive agency agreement — and the moment you've signed, the phantom buyer goes quiet and the price-drop pressure begins. Agents admit on their own forums that the buyer usually doesn't exist; the play works because it feels like a shortcut past weeks of open homes.
Cost flushes out the truth. A buyer who exists can be named, produce a written offer, or be tied to a reduced commission if they're the one who buys. An agent who resists every version of "put it in the agreement" has told you what the buyer was: bait. And when the price-drop pressure starts later, the symmetrical question — "will you cut your commission to match?" — reminds everyone that desperation flows both ways.
What to say back
"That's promising. Before I sign anything: has this buyer seen the property, and will they put an offer in writing? I'm happy to pay for results — so let's add a clause that if your buyer purchases within [30 days], your full commission applies, and otherwise we revisit the agreement."
"If the buyer is real, they'll still be there on Thursday. I'm interviewing two other agents this week and I never sign in the meeting — send me the agreement and your comparable-sales evidence and I'll come back to you."
"When we listed, your appraisal said [number] and there was a buyer ready to go. If the market's truly moved, show me the comparable sales — and if we're cutting the price, are you cutting your commission to match?"
Avoid these reactions
- Signing an exclusive agreement on the strength of a buyer you've never seen evidence of.
- Skipping the interviews — the "buyer" line is designed to stop you talking to two or three other agents.
- Accepting the flattering appraisal as a promise. The appraisal wins the listing; the "market feedback" campaign to talk your price down starts after.
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