The Buyer representation agreement

Today I want to talk about something that is very close to my heart,…. Honesty, Integrity and what your Real Estate Agent does for you as a buyer.

I know many of you out there have been dealing with some agents who might have been less than honest with you in their dealings, and it is hard to know who you can trust and there is nothing I can do to change that, but unfortunately it is also working the other way around. Many of the buyers out there don’t know how to keep the onslaught of all these hungry and persistent realtors from pestering them every day, and therefore lie about how serious they are about finding a home or give wrong information in Open house contact sheets etc etc….and so agents say that all buyers are lairs and Buyers say realtors does nothing for them, which in the end helps neither one of us… Both parties created this painful path we are on.

How to avoid this dilemma and uneasiness is the question, and the answer is easy! These problems have been assessed and addressed many years ago already, and the solutions comes in the form of the Buyers representation agreement. Now, that will bring a whole new set of “No, I don’t want to sign anything” from you, but there is really nothing to concern yourself about, because there are dates put into this agreement, and once you have had some nice conversations with an agent and you feel comfortable with him or her, you can start by signing a 1 month agreement, and renewing it if you are happy with the service. Now you don’t have to lie to any other realtors, as you can just say you have representation already, and if you want to see a house, you don’t need to struggle to find somebody to show it to you. You can just call your designated agent who will only be to happy to assist, as in the end this may lead to happy endings on both sides. By they way, if they are not happy to assist, just don’t renew the buyers rep agreement, and find a new realtor to “test drive”.

Another misconception I would like to address is that agents do nothing, but come and collect their money…. To put it into perspective, I would compare a Realtor to a Project Manager and when you think they have done nothing for you, it may be that they have actually just been so good at their jobs, keeping all problems behind the seance away from you that it seems they have done nothing.. Buying a house or Townhouse/Condo, is serious business, and stressful enough that you do not need to know about every small dilemma occurring and I personally will liaise with Lenders, Inspectors and any other service providers involved to fix all problems if possible, while still keeping you posted without bothering you unnecessarily. There are a few things that I can’t do on your behalf, but then again, I do suggest that you are on top of things as much as possible as well as this is your money you are spending after all!

Well that brings me to the end of today’s thoughts on paper, so go out there and sign those Buyer’s rep agreements, or even better, call me and sign one with me, and I will show you what customer services should look like!!