Just before the end of last year, Moneyville reported on an agent who sued her former clients after a deal went bad. Essentially, the issue became the cost of staging the house when the owners took their home off the market because they could not sell it for a price they could afford. In the end, the parties settled for $1,600.00.
Often, agents will pay for staging, photography, etc., on the understanding that they will be receiving a commission at the end of the day. Ultimately, what this case came down to was the fact that the agreement did not mention who was to pay for the costs of items such as staging if the house did not end up selling. It is very rare for an agent to bring this type of lawsuit; evidently, the realtor felt she had no choice but to do so.
If you are selling your house through a realtor, you should always be clear on these types of items up front.
