You are beginning to look for a home. Amazingly, all the homes for sale are right in your phone! 

Why hire a buyer’s agent? Doesn’t that seem a little old fashioned? 

This article will answer the questions: 

  1. What do buyers agents do? 
  2. What are the fees for buyer’s agents? 
  3. How do you find a buyer’s agent near you?
  4. And more! 

Simply put, the buyer’s agent will represent you, as the buyer, in all facets of the transaction. The seller’s agent will represent the seller, and their best interests.

While this may be obviously stated, many buyers make the mistake of attempting to work directly with the listing agent. The reason: buyers think they are saving money by doing so. Some buyers also may have worked with an unprofessional agent in the past. They then do not see the value or want to go through a similar experience. 

Working with the Listing Agent is a Mistake for the Following Reasons:

  1. Seller’s agents have a signed contract with homeowners to get the highest price and best terms for the seller. There are so many buyers and only so many sellers. Seller agents not only protect their relationships with sellers, but have a signed fiduciary relationship to do so.
  2. Seller’s agents are not obligated to tell you the truth. Again, they are representing the owner; not you. They can head-fake buyers: “there are so many offers or “the owner will take this price.” Those are just strategies the listing agent uses to fulfill their contractual duties of getting the highest price and best deal for the owner.
  3. There’s a section on the MLS (invisible to the public) where brokers disclose important information to one another. This information can be anything from (violations on the home, environmental issues, contingencies, etc). Agents do this for one another as a professional courtesy to not waste each other’s time. Seller’s agents will try to get you to see the property first. The idea is to get you there, have you fall in love with the property, then move forward. They are hoping you will overlook the defects that may or may not be eventually disclosed.

The logistics of working on your own will also be very challenging. Here are a few of the many challenges:

  1. Sorting through Inventory: This is a very frustrating process. Oftentimes the websites are behind the MLS. It’s a lot of legwork and follow up calls. 
  2. Setting up Showings: This goes hand in hand with sorting through the inventory. You will have to coordinate each showing and coordinate multiple people. A buyer’s agent can plan everything for you at once. 
  3. Poor Service:  Many agents do not want to meet buyers at the properties without a consultation or preapproval. Agents prioritize and commit to clients that commit to them. You will keep getting pushed off over and over again.

In addition to all the benefits above, the buyer’s agent is FREE! The buyer’s commission is paid by the seller. Buyers do not pay the buyer’s agent a commission or salary. 

You are essentially hiring a free consultant to see all the inventory, walk you through the entire process, and streamline the whole search for you. For the price of free, I can think of no better deal across many other professional disciplines. Can you? 

A professional and hardworking buyer’s agent is worth their weight in gold. They will save you time, money, and will make the process smooth and even enjoyable. They will listen and work hard to find the best housing solution that meets your aspirations and needs.

It’s common for customers to start their search on their own, only to run into the challenges above. We are happy to hear about your experience and are looking forward to connecting with you!