Many times, buyers believe that they can contact the listing agent of a property and get “a better deal.” Nothing can be further from the truth.
A listing agent has an obligation to attempt to obtain the highest possible price for his seller. Now how can that obligation fit in with the buyer’s desire to get the lowest possible price?
Kind of like being both the prosecutor and the defense attorney. Now this is not to say that it doesn’t frequently occur, by agents who feel they have a lesser capacity of a fiduciary relationship to the buyers or the sellers, but I’ve been uncomfortable with that scenario for years.
Few things are of more concern to the Department of Real Estate then this “dual agency.” At The Neuman Team I do notwork with buyers. I feel that the only way I can provide the integrity and honesty due the seller is to separate myself from the buying portion of the transaction.
We have engaged a team of five buyers’ agents to work exclusively with the buyer leads that our marketing generates. These agents are not permitted to list properties, they have an intimate knowledge of the properties available for sale in the marketplace at any given time and, as the exclusive representative for buyers, they are able to negotiate the best possible deal for their clients without any conflicts of interest.
Every buyer should, in my opinion, based on 43 years of real estate experience, have their own advocate representing them. The buying of a house is generally the largest financial transaction a person will ever undertake. To attempt to master this yourself or even with the listing agent, whose obligations are to the seller is truly, a mistake! What’s that adage about an attorney who represents himself has a fool for a client? The advantages of having someone working fulltime solely for you to find the home of your dreams offers the potential buyer the opportunity to obtain the best possible price, the fairest representation, and the experience necessary to protect your interests in the home buying process.
