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With all this information, you may want to know if you need a buyer's real estate agent or if you're able to handle the process independently.
WHY HOME BUYERS NEED A REAL ES UYERS NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT
Ah, not so fast. The reasons to use a real estate agent today are as valid as yesterday. The ease of online transactions and the proliferation of services to assist buyers in handling their real estate transactions have come about recently throughout the last decade. This has caused buyers to wonder if using a real estate agent is no longer necessary or an expense that can be avoided. While doing the work yourself can save you money if you buy a “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) house and the seller agrees to reduce the price to offset agent compensation, for many, a do-it- yourself home purchase might be pricier than a real estate agent’s compensation in the long run. In most home sales, there is a listing agent (the agent the seller engages to sell the property) and a selling agent (the agent who introduces the eventual buyer to the transaction). The selling agent is sometimes called the “buyer’s agent” because they are working on the buyer’s behalf, and it’s easier than explaining that the selling agent is not the listing agent but the buyer’s agent. Some real estate agents market themselves as “buyer’s agents,” “exclusive buyer’s agents,” or “buyer’s representatives.” These agents have chosen to make a business of finding homes for prospective buyers and handling the negotiations and transactions attendant to the purchase. These agents want to accentuate why buyers shouldn’t go directly to the listing agent when they purchase real estate.
A buyer who goes directly to the listing agent and allows that
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