If you take a few minutes to think about it, you want a Buyers Agent to help with the purchase of a home. Because you are a logical person and it makes sense. High gas prices alone will convince you to let an Agent do all the driving. :-) Common sense will tell you that the research, market value analysis, negotiations, financing packages, inspections, repairs, agreements, attorneys, and closing is work that few have time to handle on their own. So, you want an Agent, right.
Amend that; you want a Buyers Agent. Why? Here's a typical scenario: You are Home Buyer. You print out a dozen pages of homes from the Internet. You hop in the car and start driving through neighborhoods looking for homes. You check out Lake Norman then drive to Northstone; it's terrific. Macaulay is cute. Wynfield is striking. Then you spot a home in Riverbend that looks good. Eagerness gets the better of you; you want to see it, so you call the number on the sign. The person who offers to show you the home is an Agent for the Seller (Boooo-Hisss). That Agent's job is to sell you that home. From the moment you begin to speak, that Agent is collecting information to get a better deal for his Seller. Selling Agents have something to sell and if this home is not exactly what you want - they have something else to sell. When you drop by the Mercury dealership, he doesn't care if a Honda makes more sense for your family - he sells Mercurys. Most of us don't like to be SOLD.
Good Buyer Agents do not have an inventory of homes to sell. We have no agenda to sell any home. Good Buyer Agents don't SELL. They absorb your criteria and conduct exhaustive searches until you find the right home for your family. That type of commitment and service is an asset to your objective; wouldn't you agree?
Selecting a Buyers Agent is not easy. Some of you will have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins, or friends with a Real Estate License. Some of you may not want to but you will be forced to use a member of the family or a friend. That's still (probably) better than having no representation at all.
For those who have the freedom to choose, my suggestion is to get references or testimonials. People write testimonials because they are satisfied. I'll tell you what else I like about testimonials and references; it demonstrates effectiveness without regard to stature. Often a young enthusiastic Buyer Agent is far better than a jaded experienced Agent. Of course, it is possible to be old and enthusiastic. :-)
In my opinion, what more could you ask for when trying to reach a decision?
Cya' when you're ready,
Wayne
Comments