Below
are excerpts from an article published by The
American Homeowners Association® recommending buyer agency home buyer
options. Please read the article below and
register to receive more detailed information by mail. All of our real
estate agents work 100%
for the Buyer, 100% of the time.
Should You Hire a Buyer Broker?
3/29/2000 by The
American Homeowners Association®
"The real estate industry is expanding its
services, by taking advantage of the Internet, national marketing and
other consumer friendly options. One of the best of these trends is the
buyer-broker agreement. A growing number of buyer-brokerage firms give
homebuyers the option of having a professional representative on their
side. It means that homebuyers are no longer at the mercy of agents whose
main obligation is to get the highest possible price for the seller. It
also means that the homebuyer works exclusively with one agent during
their home search.
Your agent should give you a disclosure form that
describes the four types of representation: buyer broker, seller's broker,
dual agent (representing both buyer and seller) or non-agent (representing
neither). Remember that when it comes to negotiating a sales price on a
home, it's up to you to choose the arrangement. If you want your broker to
be accountable only to you, and not the seller, then your best choice is a
buyer broker contract. Under any other arrangement, your broker will act
as a go-between but cannot dicker or negotiate on your behalf.
The majority of buyer agencies have a policy of "no
cost to the buyer" which allows the buyer broker's fee to come out of
the normal sales commission paid by the seller. In practice, the listing
agent agrees to split the sales commission with your broker, equal to a
certain percentage of the final sales price. That means the higher the
price, the higher the commission. Listen to your broker's advice but it's
up to you to look out for your own interests. Make sure your broker knows
exactly how much you are willing to pay for the home.
Under the traditional agent-buyer relationship, your
agent cannot opinionate about a home's defects or drawbacks. But if you do
decide to hire a buyer broker, he or she will be free to offer criticism
and favorable advice to help you discriminate between homes and get the
lowest possible price. Some even represent buyers exclusively and do no
selling at all in their business. That's another clear advantage over the
seller's agent. A buyer agency will provide services most traditional
brokerages provide, including advice about property regulations and home
financing alternatives.
You might be asked to sign an agreement to work
exclusively with the buyer broker during your home search. Whether you
enter into an exclusive agreement depends on how confident you are about
the individual and the quality of services he or she will provide.
Whatever you decide, don't sign anything until you get all your questions
answered. Ask specifically how much the broker charges and how he or she
will get paid, by fee or commission."
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