Yep, it’s true. You’ll get a deal if you just go it alone. Why hire an agent to represent you? What could possibly go wrong? After all, they’re just overpaid taxicab drivers anyway!
Check out this blog to see what I’m talking about.
You see, it’s true. You’ll get a DEAL! Question is, what kind of deal? A great deal of grief maybe? Did you know:
- 99% of the time, you don’t pay a dime to your buyer agent?
- Your buyer agent is actually bound by a code of ethics to represent ONLY YOUR interest?
- You’ll almost never really save money by going directly to the listing agent?
Yep, all of the above are true. Your buyer agent is almost always paid by the listing agent. It doesn’t cost you a dime to be represented, and you’ll have someone in your corner who has likely closed far more homes than you ever will in your lifetime. Also, if you go directly to the listing agent, you’re going up against someone who has a contractual obligation to look out for the seller’s best interest. You may get the idea that you’re going to get a break on the sales price, but the fact is that listing agent will simply get a much larger commission because he/she doesn’t have to split it with a buyer agent since you’re unrepresented. Yep, he/she will get the total commission, not a reduced commission (almost every time).
So, think twice about what’s really most important to you. A perceived savings, or real representation (that costs you nothing) by someone who knows what they’re doing and wants to look out for you?
[…] a new home? Can’t I just go directly to the builder?” As you’d probably guess, I always advise against this, for several reasons, but in today’s softer market, with several builders teetering on the edge, it’s more […]