u/JameNotBondNYC

I’m a newer real estate agent in NYC dealing with something that’s raising serious red flags.

My team leader has recently started pushing us to request that buyers’ attorneys use a single “preferred” title company. On a recent deal, when an attorney refused, he had me get her on a 3-way call and straight up said that not just our team, but the brokerage, would blacklist her if she didn’t go along. This was not a polite ask - this was a legit threat. I work at a top 10 brokerage in NYC, which makes this even more concerning.

I don’t receive any financial benefit and don’t want exposure to liability by association. At the same time, management seems aware. The title company’s rep is constantly in the office, taking agents out and sponsoring events. We have other vendors who do similar things, but we’re not pressured to push them into client deals.

I’m trying to understand where the line is. Is this something that could put me at risk, and how would you handle it while protecting your license and reputation?

I’m a newer real estate agent in NYC and dealing with a situation that doesn’t sit right with me.

My team leader is pushing us to require that buyers’ attorneys use a single “preferred” title insurance company. On a recent deal, when an attorney refused, he had me get on a 3-way call and basically implied that our team would blacklist her if she didn’t go along with it.

I don’t get any financial benefit from this, but it’s pretty clear my team leader is strongly motivated to use this one specific company. What also stands out is that we have a “preferred vendor” list with multiple options (attorneys, mortgage brokers, etc.), but only one title company.

My concerns:

• Could this kind of pressure violate any laws or regulations?
• Could I face liability or disciplinary action for participating in this?
• What happens if an attorney pushes back or a client complains?

Is this kind of thing normal in NYC real estate, or is this a major red flag? How would you handle this if you were trying to stay compliant and protect your license?