An agent within our brokerage was preparing to list a home for past clients they have a long-standing relationship with. The listing paperwork had not yet been signed due to a temporary repair issue (active leak), and the clients were waiting on a contractor timeline before proceeding.

During this window, a builder sales representative (Lennar) met with the clients and suggested they explore selling their home through Opendoor instead of listing with their agent. The positioning was framed as a way to move forward more quickly with purchasing a new construction home.

The agent had already established the relationship, previously sold the home to the client, and was actively working toward listing once repairs were addressed.

The clients ultimately declined the Opendoor option, but the situation raised serious concerns about professional boundaries and client redirection.

 

Let’s be very clear about a few things:

👉 This is NOT in the best interest of most sellers
👉 This can significantly impact your client’s equity
👉 This can cut you out of a relationship you’ve built and earned

 

In this particular case, the client had an established relationship with their agent, and had not even signed listing paperwork yet due to a temporary repair issue. Despite that, another party stepped in and introduced an alternative that would bypass the agent entirely.

That is a line.

As professionals, we:
✔️ Protect our clients’ equity
✔️ Provide full market exposure, not convenience-driven shortcuts
✔️ Respect agency relationships

 

💡 What to watch for:

💡 What to do:

At Carolina Elite, we protect our people. That means our agents AND their clients.If something like this happens to you, bring it to leadership. We will help you navigate it and make sure you’re covered.

Stay sharp out there. 👊