Real estate agents may file for money from BP oil spill

BP has set aside some money for those affected by the Gulf oil spill, and some of that money is earmarked for real estate agents.

Even though Pinellas County beaches haven't seen a drop of oil, some real estate agents said they've seen a drop in sales.

Clearwater agent Paul Gibson said out-of-state clients looking to buy a vacation home left town when the oil started gushing.

"So they terminated their sale, packed up and left," Gibson said. "And there are many stories like that, regrettably, in our market without the oil."

Jim White, a real estate agent on Treasure Island, said condo and single family home sales in Pinellas County had been climbing out of the housing slump until the BP disaster spooked beachfront buyers. Two of his clients cancelled pending sales.

"Both of the buyers who were under contract, signed and accepted, decided to cancel contracts," White said. "They sent us an email saying they were going to cancel because of the oil spill."

White plans to file a claim with BP to recoup some of his losses.

The maximum payout a real estate agent can receive from BP is $12,000. That's roughly the commission a real estate agent would make from selling a $400,000 home.

Century 21 real estate agent Dania Perry, who lost a sale on a waterfront house due to the oil spill, said that's not enough money to make it worth filing a claim.

But Perry believes the oil slump is ending.

"I would say it's a temporary issue we've had and our buyers are coming back," Perry said. "We have beautiful beaches and our waterfronts are always going to be appealing."