Drop the "Fly by Night" - The Importance of Having a Buyer’s Agent Represent You.

So You are Shopping to Buy a Home.  Shopping?  Yes, Shopping. 

You are on the internet and see a house of interest or drive past a home with a For Sale sign, and you have questions on these homes or you want to take a tour.  What do you do? You call the agent on the sign or on the listing, of course.  They show you the house.  It is not really what you wanted, so you continue your search. You do the same thing with the next property that you want to see and so on, and so on, don’t you? 

Good idea?  Not so much, and I will explain why this is not in your best interest.

Buying a home is more complex then just calling a listing agent and asking that agent to show you a house. 

Before you start looking at homes, it would best to do your research to locate a REALTOR® to represent YOU.   By hiring a REALTOR®, you will have representation throughout the entire process.  They will also be objective when showing you a home and point out potential issues. A buyer’s agent will be able to show you any property that is listed for sale no matter which company has it listed.  Brokers co-operate by listing their properties on the multi-listing service.  Keep in mind that a listing agent is looking out for the interests of the seller – they are representing them and in doing so, owe them their loyalty. 

Whether you are a first time home buyer or have gone through the process many times, you should still plan to use a buyer’s agent for the same reasons as listed above.  Upon your initial meeting you would want to discuss the Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement with your REALTOR® which would spell out the relationship between you both. 

All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS® and are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again. To read more about why you should use a REALTOR® visit: http://bit.ly/OPBo5.

The best thing a home buyer can do is to research and gather as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision. Remember that knowledge is power!  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.   

What advice would you give any one buying a house in today’s market?