Buyer Be Wise!
So you’ve decided to buy a home. Whether you’re young and tech-savvy, older and experienced, or somewhere in between, you’ve probably got a system for searching for that home. You regularly visit realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia and Craigslist, and you’ve been driving around different communities to see if you might want to live there—jotting down the contact information from signs in front of a few interesting homes. You’ve even attended some open houses and chatted with the hosting agents. You’ve checked your credit score. You’ve got a list of other houses you want to see, and you sit down to contact the agents whose listings have grabbed your interest.
But something is missing
Not one of those agents represents you. A listing agent represents his client, the seller. He will put the seller’s interests first and negotiate the best price and terms for the seller. The listing agent will maintain confidentiality about specific client information, including motivation and bargaining information, but is not obligated to keep confidential any information you share. What you need is one person who represents you and your interests…an exclusive buyer broker.
And here are the top reasons why:
1. There’s no additional cost to you
A buyer broker’s fee is paid at closing from the transaction commission specified in the seller’s listing contract with his agent. So the cost is included in the price of the home—you pay no additional cost to your buyer broker.
2. You’ll save money
When it comes time to make an offer, your broker will quickly perform a market analysis of comparable recent sales in the area to make sure you’re not offering more than what the property is worth. She’ll advise you on factors to consider when making your offer, and on what to offer for an earnest money deposit. And she’ll even help you select a lender that offers the best programs and terms tailored to your financial circumstances for your mortgage loan. Plus, your buyer broker knows the offer-counteroffer process and will help you negotiate the best price for the house you want.
3. Privacy is power
Your broker will not share any confidential information about your finances, your motivation for buying, your buying timeline, or even who you are without your permission. Your buyer broker will work with the selling agent on your behalf, but sharing only the information necessary to negotiate the best deal for you.
4. You’ll save time
Instead of spending time contacting several agents to set up showings, your buyer broker will schedule showings of homes you want to see and accompany you on an organized tour. Once a contract is signed, there are many due diligence activities that need to be scheduled and coordinated in a short time period: loan application, building inspections, appraisal, investigation of any zoning and floodplain issues—to name a few. These all take time. Time spent on phone calls, emails, research and documentation. Your buyer broker will take the lead on getting the important parts in place, and then provide that important information to you.
5. Your buyer broker has inside information
When you look up a house on realtor.com or other public listing websites, you can only see some of the information about the property. Your buyer broker has access to additional important information that only she can make available to you. Things like annual heating costs, whether the radon has been tested and mitigated, and whether there are disclosed material defects in the house. She will be able to share with you how many days a particular house has been on the market, whether there have been price reductions, and what the current market conditions are—information that helps gauge a seller’s motivation.
6. Your buyer broker sees what you might not
When you walk through a home, you imagine standing in the kitchen making dinner or choosing which room will be your office. Your buyer broker will notice the age of the windows or a water stain on the ceiling and mention these to you. She’ll notice that the neighbor’s shed appears to be over the lot line, or that there’s only one thermostat for both floors. You don’t have to spot all the details you might not even know to look for. Your buyer broker will be your extra set of eyes. She will also accompany the building inspector with you to help you separate the minor issues from the major ones.
7. You won’t get bogged down in red tape
Your buyer broker is familiar with the paperwork and language of contracts and negotiations. She’ll coordinate everything, make sure it’s done on time, translate and boil down confusing documents so they’re easy to understand, and make sure all the necessary documents are filed the right way, in the right place, at the right time. She’s your partner in making home-buying work for you!
So Why Choose Me?
1. Focus
2. Availability
3. Experience
I have broad experience working with first-time home buyers, downsizing empty nesters, upsizing growing families, condo dwellers, investors and builders. I’m familiar with the needs you’re concerned with, and maybe even some you haven’t thought of.