Why Use an Exclusive Buyers Agent to Represent You?

Criteria to Compare Real Estate Agents

There are a number of specific questions that you can ask real estate agents to distinguish among them and choose the one that best fits your needs. Before providing a list of questions let me make several observations. First and foremost, selecting a real estate agent should be about the basic concept of AGENCY. Real estate agents are subject to the same laws of agency as attorneys, someone in a bank trust department, CPAs or any other role where the “agent” is suppose to put the interest of their employer (their principal) ahead of their own personal interest. That system is based upon a client relationship, not a customer relationship which is customary of industries with a ”sales psychology” such as real estate.

Real estate agents have historically had a client relationship with sellers and a customer relationship with buyers. That really has not changed as much as the real estate industry would like you to believe. Look for someone who clearly you’re your interest ahead of their own. Within the real estate industry you will find blatant conflicts of interest, paperwork that protects the real estate community and not the consumer, and outright insider trading, We purposely do not list properties (although we could make a lot more money) to avoid the inherent conflict of interest of representing a seller today and a buyer tonight that perhaps may want the property of the seller to who we just pledged our loyalty.

In person we provide clients information that helps coach and counsel them to save fees and other expenses of obtaining a mortgage loan. We assist clients on an on-going basis (if they wish) and we are generally able to save them money in fees that are negotiable as well as helping hem insure they receive the lowest interest rate available nationally. Our main office is one block south of Bay Area Boulevard (near NASA) but our agents (five of seven are former clients) generally work from their homes and we cover most of the Houston area as a result of where our agents live.

Homebuyer's-Team and Exclusive Buyer's Agency

We do not list properties therefore our commitment is 100% to the buyer 100% of the time. Both new and used homes generally have a fee or commission already built into the transaction for an "outside" broker so we collect that fee in lieu of any payment from our clients. We do NOT list properties to avoid potential conflicts of interest as is common with most major real estate companies who want to sell their own listings first.

Unlike traditional real estate agents who claim to "represent" a buyer while at the same time they list properties, we believe representing a buyer should follow the strict principles of the common law of agency. That means working only as an exclusive agent (as would an ethical CPA or attorney) for the best interest of only one client. We believe a person acting as a buyer's agent should not "sell" real estate at all. As an agent of a buyer-principal, his/her role should be that of a counselor, listening and assisting someone make a home-buying decision. Frequently that even means advising someone not to buy particular properties based upon that client's circumstances or timing. When a buyer has completed a home purchase he/she should clearly feel that it made a difference having someone truly represent him. It may seem corny but it is a true statement that we approach the purchase of every property as if the buyer were a sister-in-law or other family member with the idea that if we make some mistake we would hear about it at a family reunion for the rest of our lives. That is a VERY different approach to the real estate business than what is common in the industry.