Dear Cellar

[smoothmoniker]

Our realtor referred a mortgage broker. I'm sure the realtor got a kick-back. I hope he did! It was still our choice to go with that broker or not.

That broker presented us with several loan options. I'm certain that he will get a kick-back from whichever one we choose. I hope he does. It will still be our choice to use that loan, or to go hunting on our own to find a better loan.

The referral kick-back isn't the same thing as a bribe to a purchasing agent, where the payment is quid-pro-quo for securing a contract. Instead, the party making the payment is paying to jump to the front of the line, and be the first to make an offer to the client, who may or may not choose to use that service.