Complain about a product or service

RE/MAX

RE/MAX brokerages are locally owned so a complaint about one doesn't necessarily reflect on the others. Having said that, here are a few of the more recent complaints about RE/MAX Realtors.

Tom of Old Bridge, NJ November 16, 2009

This is my opinion of Remax First Realty and agent Liz. On 8/28/09 I contracted Liz of First realty owned by Thomas to rent or sell my second house. Our house was supposed to be listed on several websites, but I could never find them. The one I found was located in my opinion in an obscure place that could not be found unless you knew the exact website address, which would never happen. What I found was an inaccurate description, horrible pictures like a child, or someone who had never used a camera EVER had taken them and the listings for the sale and rental had different descriptions. My wife called the agent to get it cleared up on October 18 and was told it would be taken care of right away. The following week when we checked nothing had been changed and when asked why we were told her camera battery died when she went to take the new pictures. The following call a week later we were told when she went to take new pictures that her camera just died and she couldn't update the pictures. Hey Liz, time to buy a new camera.

On November 10, 2009 when I checked, since the descriptions were still different and the pictures had not been retaken. My wife called and spoke to Jean at the agency and explained to her what was going on and that we wanted our contract cancelled and explained why. Jean said she would look into it and get back to us. When we did not hear from her we called back and she said Liz asked if she could have another chance. We said no since we had had enough of her lack of effort and bad attitude on the phone and after explaining all of this to Jean she even agreed that a realtor is supposed to work for us and apparently that was not happening and then she apologized for recommending someone who was not doing her job.

The following Friday we received a call from a man who was interested in renting our house. We asked how he got our number and why he didn't call our realtor. He said he got our number from the next door neighbor because he couldn't get our realtor to call him back. He said had seen the realtor's sign lying on the ground (really professional) and took her number. He called her because he was right there and would like to see the house. She said she was not available. He asked to see it the following day and again she said she was not available. I asked him if she suggested any other times to show the house and he said no. He said he called her 3 more times at her cell and office number because he desperately needed to be in a house by the 15th which was in 2 days and she did not return even a single call, so he went next door to ask if the neighbor knew who owned the house because he could not get a response from the realtor. Our neighbor gave him our number and he left us a voicemail asking if we could show him the house because our realtor was uncooperative and would not return his calls.

When I spoke to him he said she made no attempt to show, rent, or sell him my house and seemed totally uninterested in showing the house. Since the realtor had not done her job as contracted and did not respond to the only serious inquiry I know about, I took matters into my own hands and rented to this person. When I called Thomas owner of Remax First Realty to discuss this issue he was uncooperative, loud and just seemed to have an up yours attitude and said he was going to sue me for the commission, even knowing his agent did not do her job properly. My opinion is stay away from REMAX. This is my second dealing with a Remax agent and both went very bad. When I bought my residences through Century 21 and Wamu everything went as smooth as possible. Remax was a nightmare when I bought my last house and now the nightmare happens again. I should have know from my first dealing with Remax that they are not the company to use. As a matter of fact when I complained to Remax directly about the last agent, they never even had the courtesy to respond to my email. I would never use, or suggest using Remax for anything. I wouldn't use them to sell a dog house after this experience.

Zygmunt of Elmhurst, IL November 6, 2009

Our home is in foreclosure and we are working with the lender to modify the loan. Under false pretense this man taped signs on all of our doors advising that he is the selling agent for our mortgage lender and to contact him. He also came to the house a week later and tried to bully our family into signing over the title to our home.

We of course verified this information with our attorneys and lender and found that this man was trying to scam us into selling our home to him directly and that he has no association with the lender what so ever. This is a serious matter that needs to be investigated to find how many other people has this man tried or suceeded in scamming out of their homes. I am reporting him to the IL state attorney general's office and will demand an investigation into the matter.

Jennifer of Columbia, SC October 27, 2009

I put a contract up on a house in Coldstream that was being sold by Mr. Madison B. The contract came back as agreed upon per the seller via email. 2 days later, Mr. B. said that his clients were taking a better offer, AFTER I had already placed the contract and received confirmation. This is an unethical method of practice and places a foul taste for all of Remax agents. I am out of a home when I was supposed to close on November the 20th. The seller even suggested that I could move my items in a bit early, and now.

Natalie of frisco, TX October 13, 2009

My house was forclu on Sep 1st 2009. Mr Clay C is the Agent from REMAX selling the house. He told a third party I need to call him if I need to get my fridge from teh house. I called Mr C many many many times and he is not answering any of my called or returning any. I need to get my things from the house before the new owner comes in. Please help me get my friedge from this agent.

Isaac of Bellevue, WA August 26, 2009

I am a home buyer and closed on a home on July 20, 2009. The seller and I had reached an agreement prior to closing but after closing and when the money was dispersed to all the agents (buyer and seller, and seller agents), I (the homeowner) was left with unpromised agreements on things that needed to be done to the house. I tried calling the company that the sellers had hired to fix the problems because they had a warrenty on it but that company ignored my calls and never came out to fix it. Therefore, I believe that void's the warranty because the company they hired did a very bad job on the work.

My agent keeps postponing my request and continues to tell me it will be resolved shortly but that time never came. My agent K. Carlson said that the other agent is very unresponsive so I am stuck in the middle with a house that has problems that needed to be fixed under our agreement. Also, the sump pump stopped working 3 weeks ago and I believe that the sellers didn't hire a professional to fix it and instead tried to fix it himself.

Additionally, the house was a mess when the sellers moved out with things inside and outside of it and molds in the toilets. The grass hasn't been watered and is now dead and all this is supposed to be resolved and fixed as per usual agreement between the buyer and seller when the seller had marketed the house. The sellers should maintain it the way it was when they marketed the house.

The house was NOT a bankrupt or As Is house. So I believe my problems is substantiated and needs to be address because when I bought the house it is for those terms that I had agreed to buy the house as. I called my agent's broker and I was also told that they will contact me but that time never came.

William of Lexington, SC August 19, 2009

I bought a house through ReMax and their agent Jane McWhite. The house had polybutylene plumbing pipe. Polybutylene pipe was noted on disclosure. I had never heard of polybutylene pipe and did not know of all the problems associated with this pipe leaking and causing damage to homes. Agent McWhite did know but failed to warn me when we went over the disclosure form. This may have been because another agent in the same office listed the house and they were friends. My mistake for agreeing to dual agent. Two years later I found out how bad polybutylene pipe is, but then it was too late. I complained to McWhite and her office manager, David Ness, but my complaints were ignored. After that I complained to BBB, Consumer Afairs, and Real Estate Commission.

All they did was bounce my complaint back and fourth and argue over which agency had jurisdiction over my complaint, and no one did a thing. In the end, they all said too much time had passed and it was too late to do anything. Hiring a lawyer was out of the question because that would have cost more than replacing the pipe. ReMax and agent Jane McWhite totally failed to properly represent me in this transaction because she should have warned me about the polybutylene pipe and negotiated a reduction in the price of the house to offset the replacement cost to replace this defective pipe. Ultimately I had to replace the pipe at substantial cost to me. The class action lawsuit settlement is of no use unless you have "qualifying" leaks. Most leaks do not qualify unless they result in severe damage to the house. Agent McWhite was paid to represent me and my best interest. She failed totally to meet this obligation and her failure cost me a considerable amount of money I should not have had to spend.

Susan of Las Vegas , NV August 7, 2009

I gave Remax a pre approval letter to purchase a REO property. The lender told us the day before closing that the financing was not going to go through even though nothing had changed. Tom R instructed the title co to let the seller retain my 3500 earnest money even though the contract clearly states the deal is based on my financing. I had to hire an attorney and I still don't have my money. R has lied to me, ignored me, and basically stole my money. Now I have to sue them.

Eboni of Canton, MI July 2, 2009

My husband and I were not extended an opportunity to bid on a Flagstar REO property. Our realtor Sheila C told of us a property on Monday (6/29/09) that "would be listed soon". We visited the property the same day and expressed an interest to place an offer when it listed.

Based on her conversation with Donna M, listing agent with Re/Max who sought Ms. C's advise last Wednesday 6/24 regarding how to price a property with damages in Plymouth, MI 48170. Ms. M indicated that an assessment of the property had not been done and was not sure how to assess its value. Our agent walked her through the steps over the telephone and asked that she call her (i.e., Ms. C) when ready to list the foreclosure as she had interested parties.

We have concerns that Ms. M was fraudulent, violated the Fair Housing Act, and deceived the lender -Flagstar in terms of procedurally breaking MLS policies with the property. Our broker, Ms. C shared the MLS number with us yesterday. However, after doing an exhaustive on-line search on Re/Max's website, the property address does not show as a listing and with their advanced MLS# search option, the site reports that there are no matching results found. However, foreclosures are public record and it is very curious that nothing is public about this listing. There was not even a sign posted at the property. We have been watching the foreclosure listings like hawks, talking with our broker and neither MLS# nor address came up yesterday (6/30/09).

According to Ms. C, when she spoke to the agent yesterday (Tues. 6/30), Donna M informed her that she posted the listing on 6/26/09 and Sheila indicated that when she entered the MLS# that it showed "sale pending" on the same date (6/26). How can property be listed 0 days? Would it not be one day at least? Something is awry...suspect to say the least. As it is not the spirit of the MLS system to deny opportunity others to bid on a public bank owned property.

Chad of fayetteville, NC May 5, 2009

I rented from this company last year I moved I signed the lease in May 2008. Stated on my lease I was resposible for maintaining the pool, Remax was responsible for opening and closing the pool. The first week of September 2008 I asked when will the pool be closed. I requested it be done asap being that most pools are closed right after Labor day weekend and it was hard to find any more chemicals to keep up with the maintance. It took weeks before the got any one out to close the pool by then it was starting to change colors a treatment was made I was told keep the pool running 24 hours they would be back.

Remax would never call to let me know when the pool service would be back out then told me they sent them out and their was a dog in the yard. there was no dog in the yard only in the neighbors yard. we are now in october pool is still not closed and the pool is getting worst. I called remax over and over again and nothing was taken care of. I called the pool company remax dealt with and was told they left several messages waiting for approval from remax to come back out and that they also had to get permission to buy a pool cover. finally close to the end of december 2008 the pool was finally closed.

Remax is now trying to charge me in the amount of 1026.37 saying I did not keep the pool cleaned I kept the pool clean they did not do their job in a orderly fashion. They did not have the cover in a timely fashion and now they are trying to stick me with a bill. It's unexceptable.They can not put off their mistakes on tenants they slacked at their job as they did the year I have lived here I put in a request for my bathroom to be fixed and that never happened.

I spoke with the owner within the first month of myself moving in and he displayed how unhappy he was with the up keeping remax has done while the house was vacant. I then saw him in october of 2008 and told him the pool was still not covered and I dont see any pool cover he was very upset and said it was a brand new cover and remax better have it. Remax did not have a cover another one had to be bought. I asked remax for the owners phone number and they said they could not give me it I asked if they can give my number and they never did. I asked if they could have a supervisor call me and I was told get a hold of the supervisor myself.

I have put my 30 days notice in. This company is the worst ever. I should not be held liable for them not doing their job in a timely matter. I do not feel that I should have to pay this money or have it taken out of my security deposit Remax homeowners are at neglect I held up my duties while the pool was in use.

Olivia of Los Angeles, CA April 14, 2009

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