buyer’s agent

It doesn’t matter what kind of Realtor you hire, right? WRONG! Realtors can specialize as a buyer’s agent or listing agent, and depending on what you need, getting the correct specialization is key. So what are the differences?

Listing agents are real estate agents who deal with sellers. They talk with prospective sellers and help them decide to sell. Once they get the listing, they market the property to attract buyers and other general real estate agents who might have buyers that are interested in the property.

Their focus and responsibility is the sellers whose homes they list.

Buyers agents represent buyers exclusively. They work with buyers to find properties that fulfill the requirements the buyers have for a home. They have no interest specifically in the homes they show. Their responsibility is to the buyer, not the seller.

Most agents are usually a combination of both of these. But make sure that you find one that will represent your interests, as a buyer or a seller. If you are a buyer, don’t rely on a listing agent to worry about your interests. They won’t, no matter how nice they may be. Their responsibility, legally, belongs to the seller.

If you are thinking about listing your home for sale, make sure you are working with a Realtor who focuses on selling listings. Now they may have a buyers agent on their team, but you want to make sure that the agent selling your house is a professional listing agent.

A couple of things you can do to check is ask how many homes the agent listed this year, what their list to sale ratio is and their marketing plan for your listing.

If you are looking for a great listing agent to hire in the Clearwater or St. Petersburg area, give Deborah Ward! 727-410-0336

You’ve been deciding to buy a house and wondered whether it was a good idea to use a dedicated buyer’s agent while looking. After all, can’t the agent who listed the house help you? Well, that may not be such a good idea, and here’s why.

Dedicated buyer’s agent represents only you

The biggest reason why you need a buyer’s agent is because that agent represents you and only you. A listing agent represents the seller, and while they seem helpful when showing you the house, they don’t have your best interests at heart.

A buyer’s agent will walk you through the buying process, give you advice, schedule appointments, answer your questions about properties and negotiate and write up offers on your behalf. The best part is that you don’t pay for it. They earn their commission by splitting it with the listing agent.

Would you use the same attorney?

Here is one way to think about it. If you got sued, would you use the same attorney as the people who sued you? As in a legal situation like a lawsuit, a legal situation like the sale of a piece of real estate means you are entitled to your own representation during the buying process.

Representation in your interest

During the buying process, you get representation that is all in your interest, and it costs you nothing. Pretty sweet! So why does it cost nothing? And how can that mean the agent is on your side if you aren’t paying them? Yes, they work with the listing agent to sell the home to you. So when you purchase your home, in most places, the realtors would receive a 6% commission. 3% goes to the listing agent for listing it and 3% goes to your agent for helping you through the buying process. So while you aren’t paying them, it doesn’t matter whose property they show you, they make the same 3% commission. That’s why they stay loyal to you, not the property seller.

You won’t regret the help if you hire a buyer’s agent to find your new home.