Steve Fortner

Steve Fortner was the buyers agent on my home that I was selling. In my original contract signed by my agent and myself I was offering 4% instead of 6%. I was doing that so I had enough money to live on after paying my house off as I was moving out of state and had no job just yet. 2020 wasn’t so good to me and my family. The debt was overwhelming, and selling my dream home that I was heart broken to do was my only way out. So my agent and I agreed on the 4 %. What I was offering as commission was already known when Steve brought a his clients to my home. The key word being “offering”. I was informed the clients loved the house and would be bringing an offer soon. When my agent came to me and said we have an offer that was exactly what I needed, I was so happy. My future was ready to be written. I was able to get out of business debt and start my life over again. And then she burst my bubble. She said to me and I quote “This offer comes with a stipulation. Steve Fortner has said that HE WILL TAKE HIS CLIENTS ELSEWHERE IF I DONT PAY THE FULL 3% TO HIM”. I said “what, how can he do that”? He also said to her “if you were any kind of agent you would have taken 1% and given me the full 3%”. I said to her “How can a grown man make a decision for a client that he is suppose to be representing because he wanted to line his pockets more”? “How is this legal”? “How can be forces client to not choose their dream house because he doesn’t like the commission that was being offered, when he saw the amount in the first place”? While I am trying to keep this factual and not put my feelings into this, I find it very upsetting that a representative of Texas realtors only cares about me money. Is that the only reason he holds this position? After all the tears and questions of what should we should do, my family and I felt we had no other option but to take this deal and lose $5,250. Money that was set aside to pay our first and last months rent on our new place. Once the deal was finished and before closing I contacted the owner of Remax who he works for. I spoke to her for about an hour and explained the situation. I was told that “I signed the agreement”. There was so solutions taking place that represents good ethics on his part or hers.