Thank you so much for your article. It’s amazing that many potential home buyers (especially with first time home buyers) don’t truly understand the importance of a buyer’s agent.

A few things to mention: make sure that your buyer’s agent is a full-time REALTOR. By having a REALTOR on your team we (yes, I am a REALTOR) are required by our code of ethics to hold our client’s interested above our own – meaning that we’re working hard to get you the best price and package that we can.

You also want to make sure that you get along on a personal level with your REALTOR. They don’t have to be your best friend but you will be spending many hours with this person (many stressful hours for most). And if you don’t like your REALTOR as a person it will make the situation that much more stressful.

Make sure you know the credentials of your buyer’s agent and get referrals. Not only do you have to like them but they have to know what they are doing.

But, remember to enjoy the process as well. Buying a home is very exciting – remember to let it be!

Good topic you have here. After buying several properties with buyers agents over the past 10 years, I’m no longer ever going to use a buyers agent b/c I understand real estate contracts, and buyers agents cost 2.5%!

For numbers sake, if I use a buyers agent on a property I like, the selling agent has to pay the buyer’s agent $25,000. I’d rather go at it alone and negotiate with the sellers agent $20,000 or $25,000 off.

On the flip side, I think having a seller’s agent is absolutely CRUCIAL partly due to their connections.

Hope to see you at Financial Samurai one day. BTW, if you know anybody who’s looking to apply to b-school (given your demographic) pls let them know we’re doing a $1,000 giveaway!

Best,

FS

My wife’s experience was less-than-perfect; but all worked out in the end. We know now that when it’s time to move we’ll take a little more time to find a great buyer’s agent.

Good insight and description of what a buyer’s agent offers!

We are closing on our first home in two weeks. Being newbies, we visited the National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents http://www.naeba.org/ in hopes of finding someone who would look out for our best interests. It took them about a week to get back to us, and by that time, we had already visited with one of Dave Ramsey’s endorsed local providers.

It sounds like your wife had a less than great experience. However, our agent is wonderful and if nothing else, has been a great resource assuring us that we are covering all of our basis.