Cory Brewer

By Cory Brewer

An agent in my office recently had a deal where the clients on the other side of the transaction carelessly posted information online and it ended up costing them, BIG TIME.

When selling a house, it’s very important that the seller provide full disclosure about its condition.

When purchasing a house, it’s very important that the buyer provide full disclosure about their ability to qualify for financing.

Posting more personal or emotional details online for the world to see, however, is a different story.

My agent was representing the seller and received an offer from Mr. & Mrs. Buyer. My agent then caught wind of the fact that Mr. & Mrs. Buyer were posting the step-by-step details of the deal on their online social networking account, which severely compromised their negotiating position. Among other things, they gushed about how often they drove by the house, how badly they pined for it, and how worried they were that they weren’t going to get it, or that another buyer would swoop in. The biggest mistake they made, however, was posting the actual amount they were willing to pay (which was A LOT MORE than the amount they originally offered).

OOPS! My agent’s sellers counteroffered for said amount, and were able to benefit from Mr. & Mrs. Buyers’ carelessness.

This is just one of the many ways that people can get into trouble by misusing social media. Think twice before you hit the “post” button!

Cory Brewer is a REALTOR® in the Seattle area and branch managing broker at RE/MAX Preference on Mercer Island. Connect with Cory at www.CoryBrewer.com.