Donna Gallo - Century 21 Donna Tavano Gallo - (Remax) Unethical Practices!!! Babylon, New York
Since moving to NY 2.5 years ago, I have learned that many things are done differently here than in VA. Apparently, real estate transactions is one of them. I bought and sold 4 homes in VA and never had the issues that I have had trying to purchase a home here. Which leads me to the point of this letter.... Donna Gallo of Century 21.
This agent listed a home in an area that I had been targeting at a very very good price. I watch the MLS daily and having already missed opportunities on 2 other homes, I immediately made a full price offer on the property Ms. Gallo listed. I had not yet acquired my own agent so I called the number on the listing requesting a call back from Ms. Gallo with a message I wanted to write an offer asap.
I received a call back from another agent in her firm who agreed to meet me at the property and would try to arrange a showing that day for me. I met the other agent, we wrote a full price offer and included a pre-approval letter from Wells Fargo with 20% down. All good... right? Wrong.
I was told that I could not get in to see the property until the open house which Ms. Gallo set up for 2 weeks later!!! Even with a solid full price offer on the table, she refused to let me see the house.
A day or two later, I get another call that now she will not accept my offer unless I get pre-qualified with a guy named "Sal" at some bank I had never heard of. I already had a pre-qual letter from Wells Fargo and another verbal from Continental Mortgage.
It gets better.... days later I get another call stating there was no CO on an addition and they want me to pay $100 to pull the paperwork!! Keep in mind, at this point i still did not even know if my full price offer had even been submitted!
I called her broker at Century 21, Mary, who defended these tactics - even when I stated collusion! After realizing I was serious and very pissed, she said she would call Donna and tell her to drop the other lender pre-qual request. After, more discussions with broker as I tried to find out more information on this short sale property. Broker states Donna handles all properties like this in order to stir up excitement and get multiple offers on the table at the open house.
I went to the so called open house and saw not one other person in the house but got to meet Ms. Gallo. She seemed nice enough even if un-informed about the property. I withdrew my full price offer. I can't help but believe this BS does NOT help the seller.
So now, i am interested in another property and I just found out it is also Donna Gallos. my realtor has been trying to get not only me in the house but other clients as well. He's been trying for over a month and she has not once returned his call. He and 3 other realtors I have spoken with are all aware of her tactics. Many realtors refuse to work with her because she is so unethical and difficult. She plays games and does not like to share her commissions which likely has something to do with her not returning other agents calls who want to show her properties. I just learned this morning that the other listing of hers I'm interested in was just reduced by 20k and STILL she is not returning my agents calls! This woman is unbelievable and needs her licensed revoked asap for unethical practices! What a nightmare. Buyer and seller BEWARE!! She is a hot mess and a disastrously unprofessional agent! The person who posted in her defense must have been her or a family member!
4 Updates & Rebuttals
deananddogs
Patchogue,New York,
Really??? where is your head?
#5Author of original report
Thu, March 13, 2014
To Long Island Native...
Get your bs straight!
First, your comment about a man being intimated by a sucessful woman or whatever crap you said, just shows your ignorance. I am deananddogs who posted the intial negative report and I AM A WOMAN!!! AND, let me add, I am an attractive and very successful business woman!! Not only would I never be intimidated by another successful woman but second and more importantly, I would have to first MEET HER to be intimidated!The Donna Gallo you defend is never around to actually meet anyone unless it's one of her open houses. She certainly never returns calls.
And go south??? You mean like soooo many New Yorkers end up doing? And I can't blame them. People are nicer, more professional, and you don't get raped with ridiculously high taxes when you try to buy a very modest home. I can't get back to the south fast enough! But for now I must be here so I try to make the best of it.
Continue defending this woman if you must, but I have been vindicated. You can now read 2 other posts where she pulled the same crap and the other posters also say THEY TOO were told by their realtors that no other realtor wants to work with her. One even said she keeps getting fired!! This woman has a HORRIBLE reputation and you will be a very busy person if you keep trying to prove all of us naysayers wrong!
REALLY.... You need to do a better job of choosing your heroes!
Thankfully, that crap-trap of a house she was trying to get top dollar for, didn't work out and I now have a lovely home in Patchogue that I love. All's well that ends well and karma's a .... well, you know!
boss
port jefferson,New York,
no
#5Consumer Comment
Thu, March 13, 2014
His report seems accurate. Ive been trying to view 2 listings that Donna Tavano Gallo has, and she is not returning my agent's phone calls, nor my phone calls. Long story short, I have to go knock on the door and will look for the owners personally. Also, when I viewed a home last week, my real estate agent was talking to the other real estate agent showing us the house, and mentioned how I want to see 2 listings of Donna Tavano Gallo.
The other real estate agent looked at me, laughed, and said not to waste my time, that she does not return phone calls aspecially when its another agent, and, that she's been alot of real estate agencies at this point and no one will hire her anymore. I do not know her personally, but just passing along information about what these 2 real estate agents had, since real estate agents all have to work together to make their sales and commissions.
LINative
Clinton,Connecticut,
Donna Gallo - Century 21
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sun, June 23, 2013
I am here to DEFEND Donna Gallo...she & her family have been in Real Estate for over 2 & 3 decades depending on which member you deal with....and they ALL don't have that last name.
Things work differently as far as Real Estate in each state. Also, with Foreclosures,Bank owned, Short Sale etc..rules vary buy state. She lists houses for sale that are not in danger as well. She listed my aunts house & in 2 weeks had 6 offers. This house as no great shakes but amazing property.
Many lawyers/ lenders want to deal with the same finance person, especially when coming from out of state. We dealt with that when moving from NY to another state.
She now has opened Her own REAL ESTATE AGENCY!!! It is very busy & lucrative for her employees..... she has owened her own back in the late 80's & early 90's.
You just seem very bitter & nasty in general....maybe you are intimidated buy a Successful buissness woman or any woman who makes money. Many " men" seem to have that fear.
My suggestion is to STAY in VA or go somewhere South. What a waste of my time to evev write this. But this woman is involved in her Village Board among other important..she ALWAYS puts other people before herself!!
.
anonymous
centrail islip,New York,
United States of America
donna gallo
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, October 13, 2012
Similar situation happen to me with Donna Gallo. I also had to go See "Sal" and his boss Russell Izzo At First National Bank In Patchogue.
I got pre approve by them, they try to convinced me to get my loan thru them, that i was going to get a lower interest rate with them as i said no that i was ok with wells Fargo.They started telling me that house wasn't good for me and pulled out a stack of house listing for me to look at. I thought i was at a bank not a real estate agency. The place (bank) is a house that they converted the inside into a office.How I'm i suppose to get a loan with them that no1 knows over Wells Fargo.
Even tho i have no evidence i think that Donna has some sort of deal with Sal and Russell in where she gets $ from them when she sends buyers over to get approve and get loan thru them. Way i look at it is that if you don't get loan from first national bank you can pretty much forget about getting that property as long as Donna has listing under her power.
Bottom line is that idk how Donna Gallo is still in the real estate business with such a bad rep. I have been working with 3 different agents and they all tell me the same thing about her how She never calls back and makes everything difficult.