Doughnuts Are To Homer As Fee Is To Broker

While you stand there wondering whether to pull the trigger on a rental, the broker may or may not be thinking something along the lines of the following:

We had narrowed her search down to two buildings around the corner from each other. The units were almost identical; one was a little larger, but the building lacked any kind of character, and the approval process was long and ridiculous. It was also a sketchy co-broke where my fee would get chopped in half. The other unit was nice, it was an easier deal, and I would keep the entire fee. She wanted my opinion on which apartment she should take.

In the rental market, the difference between right and wrong is often a hazy shade of grey. There I was with the nicest client I have ever had, being asked what I thought was the better apartment when my paycheck doubled if she chose the second one. Shouldn’t I at least nudge her in that direction? You want to do the right thing, but on the other hand it’s one less deal I have to make that month . . . if she goes the right way.

Will the agent do the right thing? In this case, of course. Whether he gets a date out of it is another issue.