Buyer Misled in Bellevue – inflated offer, Rent-Back Issues, and Damaged Home

I’m the buyer of a home in Bellevue, WA. During the negotiation, my buyer’s agent — a top performer from S* Properties** — told us there was a competing offer at $XXX, and strongly pressured us to beat it that same evening, including extra $XXK and plus six month rental back. However, in a later conversation with the seller, she expressed doubt about the legitimacy of that offer — yet did nothing to verify it or disclose the truth. And she did not tell us at the time she was skeptical of the offer.

Only after the deal closed did we learn that the seller had rejected a $[X-100k] offer from our agent just one week prior, something our agent failed to mention at all. The seller represented himself (FSBO), and had been attempting to sell the property for nearly a year. Since closing, we found red flags suggesting that he was neither transparent nor trustworthy throughout the sale process.

In addition: • Our agent pushed us into a 6-month rent-back agreement without adequately explaining the potential lender restrictions or risks. • She never arranged a final walkthrough. • After closing, we found major property damage, and had to spend over $10K out of pocket to repair it. • During the 6-month rent-back, we were paying over $10K/month in mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance — with no ability to live in the home.

What’s more concerning, after sharing our story in local community groups, we found several other buyers reporting eerily similar issues with the same agent—patterns of withholding key information, misrepresenting competing offers, and prioritizing closing speed over fiduciary responsibility. It seems our experience was not an isolated incident.

What happened with the VP: • I called the brokerage’s VP, , to address the issue. His response: • He said he’d “not donate a penny” toward our compensation, seemingly calling our request “egregious.” • He blamed us as buyers for signing the contract, not the agent for steering us. • He admitted that the 6-month rent-back is an issue and promised to share that internally — but nothing beyond that. • He dismissed market concerns as “buyer remorse” and framed this as a common complaint due to the market downturn. • Notably, he acknowledged the agent showed “no care or concern,” and that she repeated the seller’s statements as facts — but still refused to take accountability.

Questions for the community: 1. Has anyone dealt with a brokerage VP like this? Were you able to negotiate compensation or did you escalate? 2. Is it realistic to expect a full commission refund or additional compensation? 3. What are other people’s experiences with rent-back issues or misrepresentation of competing offers? 4. Should I file a formal complaint with DOL or NWMLS, or should I escalate via social reviews first?

I’d appreciate any insights or pointers — this situation has been emotionally and financially draining, and I want to approach this productively and confidently. Thanks in advance!