Yes, I've fired shoppers-time wasters, abusive personalities, personality conflicts and dishonest buyers.

That said, I try to refer the personality conflicts to a better personality match in my pool of associates, since it's just chemistry, not bad people.

Oh God, which time? I have a short fuse when it comes to nonsense.

Yes.

Why? They were unwilling to believe the 60% of value boat left the dock many years ago.

Why? The unseen adviser was delivering really bad advise which they were unwilling to accept it as 'untrue.'

Yes. Several. Consistently not showing up at the scheduled time - holding me up for over an hour. My time is valuable to me.  

I think only 3 in my lifetime, but I may just do that with one referral that I am now trying to work with.  He thinks he knows it all and cannot grasp that no one is giving away property. In one ear and out the other.  I totally misread him.

Other than that, I ask a lot of questions and have reality checks with buyers before I take them out, so I do not show property to those that are not ready, willing and able...and reasonable. 

Eve

Oh yes, and sellers too. Pick and choose your clients carefully.

lol, they were too difficult to work with OR couldn't make up their minds OR were worried what others were saying & thinking instead of what they liked.

Yes, a few times.  The top reason is dishonesty.

I'll second Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041 

Yes. Crude.

It's been a long time ago and it was only a total of two buyers in my 26 year career.

Nathan Gesner Yes, they were too difficult to work with.

Rarely have I had to fire a Buyer as the high majority actually purchase property!  It is the Sellers that I release out to the big bad world . . .  as someone mentioned, there are a few with the Jekyll & Hyde syndrome.

we're listing agents.... we rarely fire a seller....once in 39 years....

Yes - they were tire-kickers and actually stated, "I just love looking at houses with you!"  Yeah, not on my favorite pasttime list - it's a profession, not a pasttime!

Yes... and sellers.  Precisely for that reason... difficult, not respectful, not fully motivated, caught them in untruths.

Only those that are not serious

I was just about to fire a customer and then we went under contract!  lol

There was one seller that I fired. It was my mistake for taking the overpriced listing to begin with and it was a learning experience!   

While few, I have "parted ways" with clients.  The reasons have varied.  

I fired one.. sort of when I took them out to look at properties and came to find out the wife was looking that day with another agent

I referred one last year.  First time buyer, a ZILLION questions, and on first two days got at least 10 calls.  I had 11 properties UC and referred her to a REALTOR friend that had more time.

Sometimes the square peg will not fit in the round hole. It has happened when the buyer felt they should be able to purchase property at 50% of LP. In this Sellers Market? I don't think so!

Never have.

Ahh YEAH! mostly when I realize they are not serious or time wasters.

I have to say no in 16 years --always a first

Require a Buyer a Broker Agreement

No.

Yes, a few times.

One buyer wasn't respecting my time, and then he just decided not to show up for an appointment (I got there, turned on the lights/etc, waited, called him, and he said, "Oh, we decided not to come.") I told him to find another agent.

A couple kept telling me what I should do as part of the real estate process, but they were things I'm not allowed to do (in our state, attorneys do some of the things they insisted I take care of). It turns out they were getting their advice from an agent in another state where things were done differently. I explained several times who does what and they wouldn't give it up. I gave them up.

Then there was a couple that didn't believe anything I said. What do you mean the sellers won't accept an offer 40% off the list price? (sellers said no) What do you mean I can't go see a house that is $100K more than I can spend? What do you mean that house is priced appropriate for the market? I only have $100K and that's what I want to give them. What do you mean I have to let you know what I think about a counter-offer in the middle of a negotiation? Why can't I wait two weeks to finally respond to you? Why can't I call the listing agent directly to get answers to my questions? And on and on.

Sometimes, it's just not worth it to continue.

Yes, they really have to be rude, crude or unrealistic.  It is never pleasant.  I prefer to let them just fade away.

I'm extremely patient. Some clients I worked were just despicable in their life styles. But I do not take staff personally since it is not my business how people live their lives as long as they respect me a professonal who is there to serve thier real estate needs. Yet, I have my limits, if the client expect from me any unethical action I would not go there. Or if they expect me to cut my commission to something ridiculous ''because another realtor offers it, but I want to work with you, can you match it?''. I just got such offer today, he even sent me a link to an online broker who charges a very low flat fee. I just thanked for the thought and wished him good luck. 

Nathan Gesner - more than one for sure. Remember the one I fired because he was teaching me how to write an offer!

The offer was written as per the instructions by this buyer - was not accepted and that was the last one for this buyer.

Several times when they were not really serious about buying

Yes, for consistently showing up late, being dishonest and wasting my time.

Yes.  Time-waster.

The wife was too difficult to work with and the husband couldn't get her under control. It has happened a couple of times.

When buyers refused to provide pre-approval or when it became clear that the viewing of homes was more of a hobby.

I've fired quite a few, usually right after they ask "can you find me a house contract for deed?". This was a common question during our oil boom when sellers rulled the market... why in the hell would they screw around with a contract for deed when they could get cash buyers at high prices?

The first client we ever "fired" my husband actually did because he didn't want me working for the guy anymore.  I was in my early 20's, first full year of selling real estate, he was a male investor and actually bought several homes from me my first year in real estate.  He started getting possessive of my time (which I allowed because I was new and liked the business) until one time I wasn't available and had my husband call him back.  He was livid that my husband called him instead of me and it became clear that his possessiveness of my time was becoming more than just me representing him in real estate transactions, it was becoming a little creepy. My husband told him on the spot that he would no longer allow me to work with him (my husband does not put restrictions on me so this was a big deal) and he was no longer welcome to call me.  Then my husband called me to tell me what happened.  I was 100% fine with it.

Actually as I was thinking through this answer it became clear that most of the clients I no longer work with that I once did are investors who I did do a lot of business with but who started expecting my time to be theirs on the spot, 24/7.  It's happened 2 other times, not the creepiness factor but the expectation that when they say "jump" I say "how high."  I guess it was my fault for setting up those expectations (I just thought at the time I was doing a damn good job for them).  Incidently, I almost never work with investors anymore, I have just a couple that I am willing to work with and who stick with me too.  New investors that come to me I refer out or tell them I am not a good fit and won't meet their needs and expectations. Also, most new "investors" have taken a seminar and we learned long ago to not waste our time with seminar investors that aren't true investors. -Kasey

Of course every 5 years or so some wacko comes along and it just isn't going to work for a variety of reason, many that have been mentioned already.

I had a guy I spent months  to prepare to list with call me one day and say I may not need your help. An agent may be making an offer. My Response: I work with you for months, then a situation comes up where you may win, the agent may win, the buyer may win and I lose for sure? Bye bye we are through here. To his credit, he said: I never looked at it that way

Sure.  If they are wasting my time.  At some point we'll have a talk about their interest level and if they're not at my level, I'll set them free.  I don't work with people who are thinking about buying in 6-12 months, I work with people who are out to purchase a house today.

Unfortunatley, we cannot fire clients as I am a builders rep, mgmt on occassion has fired clients, that means they are really really bad!

Sometimes a client is not a match.

Some looking for a boy friend. I did not walk. I ran.

I've referred clients to someone else for various reasons, but I don't "fire" them.  Sometimes, a new voice is helpful, and if the client is really a problem client, someone who isn't as busy or could use the business may be able to babysit them a little better than I'm willing to.

Yes, I have when they refuse to believe the written evidence of something contrary to what they beleive or are told by "friends" or "family" who seem to know better than the professionals.  

I have fired a few buyers... for being "toxic" clients... you know the kind.. when you see their name show up on your caller ID, you roll your eyes and let out a deep sigh before answering.

It's liberating. Literally.

Yes, we have.  Although we made a lot of $$$ with this buyer, he would constantly cancel appts, not show up when he said he would, and between us his assistant and the escrow officer we would try to find him!  Then we would have to explain to the other side...A

Yes. They were in dreamland and refused to come back to reality.

I've had a couple that I recall some years ago but I really didn't have to fire them, they just disappeared and saved me from more aggravation. Maybe they were as aggravated with me as I was with them!

Within our brokerage, agents have fired buyers a number of times - usually for failure to write on anything after showing property for months, or failure to complete a transaction - backing out time after time for no real reason.