Earth Available Realty agents are not just Buyer Agents (like some real estate agents are), we are a Columbia SC Exclusive Buyer Agency. There is a difference.
In addition to helping you in the pre-purchase phase of your home buying experience, an agent working for an exclusive buyer agency like Earth Available Realty will also help you find the best qualified home inspector to check out the home you’re considering to make sure there are no hidden defects that could cost you money after you close on the home, and one who will treat you as their client, and not just another customer. We’ll also assist you in shopping for the best mortgage, and finding a competent attorney to handle your closing for you.
Real estate agents who call themselves Buyer’s Agents but who work in a company that also takes listings and represents sellers are put in a rather awkward position when a buyer shows interest in one of the company’s listings. In this case, the Buyer’s Agent could no longer TRULY represent the buyer without posing a conflict of interest.
Reasons to Hire Your Own Columbia SC Exclusive Buyer Agency Include:
- Only an Exclusive Buyer Agent can negotiate the purchase price of a property on your behalf. Listing agents must negotiate on behalf of the seller.
- Only an Exclusive Buyer Agent can promise to represent you, and no one else, in any home you are considering purchasing. Listing agents, by law, already represent the seller.
- An Exclusive Buyer’s Agent will do everything they can to get you the best price on the best terms. A listing agent is again, obligated to do everything they can on behalf of their seller.
Why Don’t Most Buyers Understand These Differences?
The biggest reason more home buyers don’t understand the difference between an agent who represents the seller and one who exclusively represents the buyer is, most agents don’t want you to know, and therefore will try to play down exclusive buyer agency. Most will try to make you believe they can represent you, as the buyer, and the seller too. But the fact is, they cannot!
For some buyers, it comes down to having a friend or a relative who is in real estate, so they mistakenly think that just because they know this person, they will automatically represent their best interest as a home buyer. Again, big mistake! In these instances, the seller could be actually misrepresented, and a lawsuit could ensue when they later find out their agent was working for you, but failed to disclose this to their listed seller.
Another reason home buyers shy away from hiring an exclusive buyer’s agent is, many consumers fear that hiring their own agent will cost them more. The truth is that it should cost no more and usually costs less than using a traditional seller’s agent. The exclusive buyer agent’s compensation usually comes from the transaction the same as any cooperating broker fee. Most listing companies have already agreed through Multiple Listing Services that they will grant the same compensation to Exclusive Buyer Agents as they would any other cooperating agent. In addition, the likelihood of having an agent negotiating on the buyer’s behalf will enable the buyer to do a better job than they would have done with an agent representing the other side.
Dual Agency – Why it’s Bad for Everyone
When a thing called dual agency is involved, the buyer agrees at the outset of the relationship to allow their “buyer’s agent” to stop representing the buyer’s best interests if the buyer wants to buy ANY home listed by the “buyer agent’s” COMPANY.
When the buyer wants to purchase a home listed by the “buyer agent’s” COMPANY, the “buyer’s agent” then becomes a DUAL AGENT, “representing” both the Buyer and the Seller in the same transaction. When this occurs, both the Buyer and the Seller are entitled to limited services and they both lose the right to undivided loyalty, advice and advocacy.
You–as the home buyer-can never really know how likely it is that the home you may want to buy may be listed, or later become listed, by the COMPANY that is acting as your buyer’s agent, resulting in you giving up your right to undivided loyalty, advice and representation.
There is only one type of agent who can GUARANTEE he/she will represent only the BUYER throughout the entire real estate transaction. These are agents who work in COMPANIES that NEVER represent SELLERS so there is no possibility of being drawn into a situation where the agent changes from being your Buyer’s agent to a DUAL AGENT. Earth Available Realty is a Columbia SC Exclusive Buyer Agency. We ONLY represent buyers, 100% of the time, NEVER sellers.
If you are ready to find out more about our Columbia SC Exclusive Buyer Agency, and why you never want to find yourself in a Dual Agency situation, fill out our short form or call us today. 1-800-336-1299.
