Find a Recomended Buyer Agency OUTSIDE The United States

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Buying A Home

As soon as you begin looking at properties with a licensed real estate agent, you have essentially made the decision to "hire" them for any property you physically see with them.

Authors Alan and Denise Fields call this the "$7,650 car ride" in their book, "Your New House".

Why? Because the agent is working on your behalf.   If you close, they will likely receive the buyer side of the commission even if you never signed a written agrement with them or if you decided to switch agents.   This protects the agent's time and effort.  

That's why we stress the importance of interviewing one or two brokerages and choosing the broker before you get inadvertently into being chosen by them through your own eagerness to see properties. 

This can be avoided by taking a tiny bit of up front effort to carefully select the person who will end up being your negotiator, your advocate, your representative and your protector.   

The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents recommends a written agreement with your agent.  They also suggest you interview agents up front in a face-to-face session with the following questions:

1. How long have you been licensed? Do you work in real estate full time?

2. What percentage of your business is working with buyers?

3. How familiar are you with the area where I want to purchase?

4. Do you have references from other buyers who have used your services?  Do you have an association membership that has a published code of ethics or standards of practice?

5. Do you think foreclosures, bank-owned properties or for-sale-by-owner properties would be appropriate for my home search?

6. How often will you supply me with properties that meet my criteria? How will you get them to me? Will you point out the negative aspects of each property as well as the positive aspects?

7. Please tell me how you represent buyers to help them get the best price and terms?

8. Can you help me with the loan process? Do you have a list of lenders, home inspectors, insurance agents and other professionals to recommend?

9. How do you get paid?

10. Do you have a written agreement? What is the duration of that agreement? What if I see a for-sale-by-owner house on my own?

Note: If you are also interviewing brokers in traditional companies with "listings",( ie, companies that have contracts to get the highest price and best terms for the seller),

...be sure to ask this question:

How would you represent me as a buyer client for properties listed with your firm? Will you change your relationship with me to "dual agency", "designated agent", or "transactional broker"? How might that affect your ability to negotiate on my behalf for those properties?

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