How to Avoid Hiring a Lousy Buyer’s Agent

FTHB Series

Aug 5

Quick real estate lesson: Agents make money through commissions. We get a percentage of the transaction every time we help someone buy or sell a home.

Know who pays the commission? The seller. In almost every case. Yep… they pay a percentage to the agent who sells their home, and they pay a percentage to the buyer’s agent, too.

Since buyers don’t pay commissions, they often think it doesn’t matter what agent they choose to work with. But it does matter. A whole lot, actually.

Here’s the thing: Any buyer’s agent can set up a search, show you some houses, and push some paper. But a great buyer’s agent will serve as your advocate through the process.

As you interview buyer’s agents, make sure they can:

Articulate their step-by-step strategy for helping you find and buy a home you can’t wait to live in.
Explain how they’ll avoid wasting your time on homes that won’t work for you or your budget.
Describe their no-fear approach to bidding wars—and how they win them.
Give specific examples of how they’ve negotiated contracts like their life depended on it.

“Who’s paying the commission” isn’t the only—or even the most important—question. There’s a lot of money at stake, and you deserve to feel confident and in control every step of the way!