Complaint Review: Weichert Caton Properties

We are relocating to Maryland from Delaware County, PA, for my wife's job.  My wife's company's relo vendor, recommended a real estate agent working for Weichert Caton to  assist us.  We signed a contract with them to find us a house. 

Because the agent was unable to find a suitable house for us, we found a building lot and a builder in Severna Park.  We made the mistake of asking the builder to work w/ the agent/agency, because it was to be a complex transaction and we are not from the area.  Because WE found the property, we were not under any legal obligation to pay any commission. 

We agree to pay the agent/agency a 3% commission, which they were not obligated to pay, because the agent appeared initially to be diligent and knowledgeable and able to navigate to complexities of the purchase of a custom built house.  Immediately after my wife and I negotiated the buyer contract w/ the builder, the agent disappeared. 

All of our, and the builder's emails and phone calls went unanswered by the agent and agency.  Totally abandoned and not getting any response from the agent or agency, we were forced to find a temp. house on our own.  We have had to negotiate and handle the sales transaction on our own.  After nearly two months of additional non-responses, my phone call to the broker, resulted in being insulted, me being told I am  a "pest buyer", that "the agent does not HAVE to return our calls", the broker "cannot be bothered for 1 lousy house sale", etc., etc., etc.  When I asked whether he would like to tell his story to the State real estate commission, he blasted me and told me "go ahead, they will not listen to you, I am highly respected in the business."

We plan on telling the story to the Real Estate Commission.  The lesson learned is try to avoid entering into a commission contract UNLESS they agency must FIRST perform an agreed upon service BEFORE getting a commission.  Reliable real estate agencies are a dime a dozen.  Look elsewhere in Howard and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland.
Jay, Severna Park, Maryland