Buying a home? I will look after your best interests
If you're faced with a legal situation, you would want the best lawyer representing your interests. Likewise, when you are purchasing a home, you would want someone who can protect your interests. That's the benefit of buyer-agency. With this type of agreement, the agent represents your interests, not those of the seller.
Smart home buyer's never buy a home alone
Until a few years ago, home buyers had no choice. They decided upon a home to buy and negotiated the contract without representation. Traditionally, all residential real estate agents represented the home seller. This was true of the "listing agent" who put the home up for sale, and the agent who found the buyer. That agent - who helped the buyer find the right home - actually worked for the seller as a "subagent" of the listing agent. Under that traditional system, all agents were legally bound to represent the seller and the buyer had no representation.
Buyers now have a choice
Buyers no longer need to represent themselves during the home search and purchase. Smart home buyers today can receive undivided confidential representation by entering into an Exclusive Buyer's Agency Agreement. In fact, 71% of home buyers surveyed in a recent Gallup poll for the National Association of Realtors said they would use a buyer's agent next time they purchased.
How does a buyer's agent help you?
A buyer's agent owes certain duties to the home buyer, such as care, confidentiality, full disclosure and accurate accounting. A buyer's agent will also show the buyer available homes, point out the features of the property, provide financing information and submit the offer to purchase.
There's more. As your representative, a buyer's agent will share valuable and essential information with you if the agent knows it, such as:
- Whether the seller would accept a lower price
- The seller's reason for selling and timetable
- How long the home has been on the market
- Previous offers and counteroffers for the property
- Strengths and weaknesses of the property
Most importantly, you can ask a buyer's agent for advice and assistance in setting your offer price and structuring other terms of your offer. What's more, you'll have peace of mind knowing that someone is working on your behalf to help you buy at the best possible price, terms and conditions.
