What Does a Buyer's Agent Do?
Karene Garlich-Loman
Karene, a seasoned real estate professional with two decades of experience, is a true industry luminary...
Karene, a seasoned real estate professional with two decades of experience, is a true industry luminary...
What does a (good) buyer's agent do?
In your search to buy do you need a buyer's agent? The short answer is
YES, YOU ARE BEST SERVED BY A HAVING A GOOD BUYER'S AGENT IN YOUR SEARCH.
What you want is a broker who understands the market, the home-buying process, and your needs.
A good buyer's agent will do the following:
1. Track the market and alert you to new listings of interest - We will search for potential houses for you. We all have things going such as work and taking care of kids, that may take away time to search for a home. As a buyers agent, we will do the work of finding a house for you. This will take pressure off of you as a client when you may be too busy. We will take all of your wants (square footage, numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms, part of town, price range, etc.) and look for those things for you. Once we find an option, we will then send he information to you where you will make the ultimate decision of viewing the house or not. We can also complete a market analysis of any property of interest to you.
2. Preview properties upon request and arrange showings by appointment - If you like a house that we find for you, then we can arrange a private showing for you. We will walk you and anyone you want to bring through the house, one-on-one. This will help you envision yourself in the house and decide wether or not you want to make an offer.
3. Prepare and present your offer(s) - If you decide that the home we showed is for you, the next step would be to make an offer. We want to get you the best deal possible! This involves us negotiating on your behalf for things such as price, items in the home you may want to keep or change, closing dates, etc. We will communicate with the selling agent for you.
5. Communicate with you on a regular basis and remain engaged in your search from start to finish - It's important for us to build trust with or clients, and one of those ways is to communicate. In fact, one our values at Soar Homes in communication.
4. Be a resource throughout the ENTIRE process - We will guide you through the transaction process from offer to purchase & sale to closing, and beyond. You may not remember all that needs to be done when purchasing a home and closing, so we'll be there to make sure all of the to-do items get checked off of the list. We can answer all of your questions and give you all of the information that you need to get you your perfect home.
6. Refer you to another top agent - If you are searching in more than one area, have your buyer's agent in your primary area refer you to a reliable agent or agents in the secondary markets you are also exploring or searching in. Any Keller Williams agent we refer you to, will take good care of you because we will hand select them based on what you need. We feel so blessed to work with such and amazing company. Keller Williams agents go above and beyond because it is their mission to out clients first and create a great experience for you.
If you are signing a buyer's agency agreement (which is a good idea, by the way, with a good buyer's agent), be sure to review the terms and conditions of the agreement. Understand if you have the opportunity to exit the agreement - in my view, this is always a good idea, in case the relationship is not working out and/or the agent is not doing his or her job.
Some people think there is an advantage in bidding directly through the listing agent for the seller. In my experience as a top agent since 1999 in Cambridge and Somerville, I have not found this to be true. Most all real estate transactions involve two agents - the listing agent for the seller and the buyer's agent for the buyer. A buyer benefits by the insight, advice and counsel of a good buyer's agent.
It's important to remember that your relationship with your buyer's agent is a partnership. Both the buyer and the buyer's agent have responsibilities. A good buyer's agent makes known to you what you need to do and reminds you along the way. A good buyer's agent helps you understand the decisions you are making. If you are more aware and more informed as you proceed forward, your real estate experience becomes more meaningful and less stressful.