A buyer’s agent may find your dream home quicker, easier

In our current real estate market, it is important to be able to move quickly when the home you’ve been looking for finally has a “For Sale” sign in the front yard.

Many homes in the area have been selling the same day as the sign goes up, or just within a few days. If you are not prepared, you could lose out on what you have been looking for to buy.

If you are in the market for a home, one of the best ways to start your search for that special place is to get in touch with a buyer’s agent. The reason is clear: No one can make a good decision without the correct data.

That information is readily available through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of the Spokane Association of REALTORS®. The MLS details homes that are listed for sale, their cost, location, number of bedrooms, baths, size of lot, etc. The long and short of it is that a buyer’s agent has the skills that will save the buyer considerable time in the search for that perfect home.

A buyer’s agent is a licensee who is working for the people who want to purchase a home. There are also seller’s agents. And, of course, a buyer’s agent works for the buyer and the seller’s agent works for the seller. And, sometimes there is a dual agency and that would be a licensee who finds both a buyer and a seller for the property. A dual agent must have the written consent of both the buyer and seller in a transaction.

The law is straightforward. The dual agent must take no action that is adverse or detrimental to either party’s interest, to timely disclose to both parties any conflicts of interest, and advise both parties to seek expert advice on matters relating to the transaction that are beyond the dual agent’s expertise, and not to disclose any confidential information from or about either party.

A buyer’s agent often is a specialist who knows the area housing market well. He or she will know the facts regarding what homes have sold for in the past and what comparable homes are currently priced to sell.

A buyer’s agent works for the buyer and will not disclose any information that will harm the person they are helping. And help they do. They pore over the homes for sale and find the data that the prospective buyer provided about where and how the buyer wishes to live.

The communications with the agent often saves time and energy. The buyer’s agent can help smooth the purchase of real estate. With a lot of money at stake, it is often the REALTOR® who keeps the transaction on an even keel because of the knowledge of “been there, done that” in making effective negotiations.

Some buyer’s agents are specialists who generally just deal in finding the home the buyer wants to buy. If the home is listed, the REALTOR® can search those homes for sale that fit the buyer’s criteria. There are seller’s agents, too. It is the client who hires the agent to be either a buyer’s agent or a seller’s agent.

Buyer’s agent means a licensee has entered into an agency relationship with only the buyer in a real estate transaction. A buyer’s agent is loyal to the buyer and will take no action that is adverse or detrimental to the buyer’s interest in a transaction. And, will timely disclose to the buyer any conflicts of interest.

A buyer’s agent must advise the buyer to seek expert advice on matters relating to the transaction that are beyond the agent’s expertise. The agent is not to disclose any confidential information from or about the buyer.

Buyer’s agents are constantly checking availability of homes in a certain area at a certain price. In today’s real estate market, moving quickly is a must. If you like the home and wish to buy it, this is when the negotiating skills of the REALTOR® come into play.

Timing and expertise are everything. A REALTOR® with good negotiating skills working with you can be the difference between success and losing the home you’ve chosen.

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