be "represented" by an agent or "self-represented". Essentially if you choose to be self-represented then you only have two options for drafting and negotiating an offer to purchase a property: 1) do it yourself (listing agent is not allowed to help in any way); or, 2) hire a lawyer to do it for you (thereby spending thousands of dollars without any guarantee you will actually succeed in the purchase). Working with an agent on the buy side is far less risky, generally free (seller pays commission) and comes with many benefits. The ease of online transactions and proliferation of services to assist buyers in handling their own real estate transactions came about recently, throughout the last decade. This has caused buyers to wonder if using a real estate agent is no longer necessary or if it's 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 by 3% (half of what a listing agent would traditionally receive), for many, a do-it-yourself home purchase might be pricier than a real estate agent’s commission in the long run. On most home sales, there is a listing agent (the agent engaged by the seller to sell the property) and a selling agent (the agent who introduces the eventual buyer into the transaction). The selling agent is sometimes called the “buyer’s agent” because he or she is often working on a certain buyer’s behalf, and it’s easier than explaining that the selling agent is not the listing agent but really the buyer’s agent. There are some real estate agents that market themselves as “buyer’s agents,” “exclusive buyer’s agents,” or “buyer’s representatives.” These real estate 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 the reasons a buyer shouldn’t go directly to the listing agent when they purchase real estate.
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