He passed me along to his supervisor Sarah Spindler, who said that the mortgage center had received feedback from agents, but that she had not seen the article, either. She referred me to Jon Ferchen, the media relations person for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He was not available, nor was his counterpart, Dan Farmon, who also could not be reached by office or cellular phone. After leaving my phone number on four phones, including two cell numbers, I turned back to the site in search of some mitigating evidence that would show that Wells Fargo was only presenting one side of the picture and might have other stories or programs involving the real estate industry shown in a more positive light. I found none.
Some agents do show their own listings first.
Others do overprice to get the listing. Some do conceal whom they represent. Disclosures to consumers are getting murkier all the time, and few agents explain whom they represent upon first contact with a customer. But there is also the other side of the coin. Agents who practice ethically also deserve to be considered and not lumped in with agents who are overly self-serving or dishonest.