Janine J. Wilson's Blog

So Many Questions Home Buyers Ask About Buyer Agents

A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:37:26 -0800

A Buyer’s Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® is committed to providing THE BEST home buying experience available. As NE Tennessee’s ONLY Nationally Certified and Award Winning Exclusive Buyer Agents, home buyers can be represented by an agent that NEVER lists properties, never represents a seller, thus is on the BUYER'S SIDE ALWAYS!! . Check out our Questions and Answers for more information about Exclusive Buyer Agency. Get informed about your opportunities as a home buyer, and the advantages you gain by using an EBA.

Comment Turns into Hit for Owners Leasing & Renting Their Own Rental Properties

A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:04:37 -0800

I had never heard of VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) until prominent attorney and nationally renowned speaker and published author, Oliver Frascona, came to Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol TN in May, 2008, to teach an agency seminar for the Northeast TN Association of Realtors (NETAR). Along with his many other tips for Realtors regarding representing buyers and sellers as clients, he mentioned a site that he used in the past to locate vacation rentals listed and rented by owners.

What was an ‘aside' turned into a marvelous tip for Owners and potential lessees who had never used VRBO. com

I immediately found many Vacation Rentals by Owner in several states and locations where we vacation routinely. We had an excellent experience with the owners of the home we rented, saved money as the owners did not have to pay commissions, and found the owners to be more flexible with dates and times and wonderful to work with.

As owners of rental properties in Johnson City, Tn, Jonesborough TN, and Gray, Tennessee, as well as Exclusive Buyer Agents ourselves, we loved going directly to the owners and will definitely use Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO.com) again.

Submitted by Janine J. Wilson, Exclusive Buyer Agent/Realtor/Broker and Dr. G Dean Wilson Owner/Proprietors of Ashley Ryan Extended Stay Guest Suites in Johnson City, TN and Broker/Owner of A Buyer's Best Choice Realty: Buyer Representation Exclusively (Northeast TN and the TRI-CITIES TN area's ONLY Exclusive Buyer agents and brokers for Real Estate, Home Buying, and property and estate purchases.)

Websites; Exclusive Buyer Agents Johnson City, TN (Tri Cites, TN) http://www.TNBuyerBroker.com

Rental By Owner Guest Suites & Apartments:Johnson City http://www.tnbuyerbroker.com/suites/suites.htm

ABOUT the Broker-Owner: Janine Wilson http://www.tnbuyerbroker.com/bio/bio.htm

What has changed in the last 2000+ Years?

A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:25:23 -0800

Everyone is offering a solution for our economy, but this is not the first time no one listened to what we should have done to prevent this catastrophe.

What has really changed since the "great depression," or even, since our country was founded? The answer is, "A lot has changed : some for better, but some for worse, it seems."

But there is one question that has been making the rounds on the web recently, which can be answered very easily with 2 words... What have we learned in the last 2064 years when Cicero said, "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." - Cicero - 55 BC

The answer to that one question about what we have learned, in just 2 words, is simply, "Not Much!" This may not be Rome, but considering how great Rome was in it's time, and how magnificent this country is 2064 years after Cicero, we still have a lot to learn!

Let's think about that as we ponder our next moves, laws, restructuring, investments, programs, and life in general!

Janine J. Wilson, Master Level Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent, A Buyer's Best Choice Realty: Buyer Representation Exclusively http://www.TNBuyerBroker.com Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol TN Tri-Cities

Prestigious National Exclusive Buyer Agency Designation conferred

A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:04:58 -0800

Ashley Dean Wilson has received the nationally coveted certification for Exclusive Buyer Agents and Brokers, the Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent (CEBA) designation. There are fewer that 200 CEBAs in the world.

"The designation requires mastery of 10 specialty areas for Buyer Agents whose companies must never list any properties or represent a seller," according to the founder of NE Tennessee's only Exclusive Buyer Agency, Janine J. Wilson. "Both the company and all agents in the company must represent buyers exclusively," confirmed Wilson. "The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) confers the CEBA designation only on the best and most experienced Exclusive Buyer Agents in the industry."

The CEBA international certification is the most intensive of mastery programs for Buyer Agents and/or Exclusive Buyer Agents. Once a CEBA designee, the nationally Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent may then begin their quest toward becoming a "CEBA MASTER".

"CEBA Masters" number less than 90 in the world, and require the Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent to complete additional rigorous standards. Those additional standards include continuing education annually; service to the real estate industry; participation locally, state-wide, and nationally to better the real estate industry as a whole; and to provide the ultimate protection for Buyers at all times. The CEBA must also have proven competence with an established minimum number of EBA representation transactions, and those numbers and years are doubled for CEBA Master qualifiers.

Ashley Wilson currently holds the ABR (Accredited Buyer Representation) designation and the GRI designation, and is serving on the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents' Professional Development committee for 2009. "The difference between ABR and CEBA designees is the same as the difference between a Buyers Agent and an Exclusive Buyers Agent..... ABR's can represent sellers, but Exclusive Buyer Agents and their FIRMS represent buyers ‘always and only'", according to Wilson of A Buyer's Best Choice Realty® in Johnson City, TN! "The CEBA agents do not ever list properties, and most importantly, NO one in the CEBA firm (or an affiliated firm) ever lists a property or represents a seller."

The definition of Exclusive Buyer Agency was printed and copyrighted by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) in their 1993 publication, "Agency Choices, Challenges and Opportunities®" and was used by NAEBA® when the founding group of EBA's organized and chartered the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents® in 1995.

Ashley Dean Wilson is the award winning, Managing Broker of A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®, the 2008 Chairman of the TN/VA MLS TECH Committee, the 2009 NETAR GRI President, and 17 year owner of Sound-Sculptures, where he is a published composer/songwriter, recording engineer, keyboardist & piano/music composition instructor.

For additional information or to contact Managing Broker. Ashley Dean Wilson, go to www.TNBuyerBroker.com or www.ABuyersBestChoiceRealty.Blogspot.com

This News Release provided by: Janine J. Wilson, CEBA, CEBA-Master, ABR, CRB, GRI, SRES, e-PRO, Founder: A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively®, 3908 Marable Ln, Johnson City, TN 37601 Telephone: 423-737-4040, 2009/2010 NAEBA® National Convention Committee Chairman,Elected 2008 NAEBA Eastern Regional Nominating Committee Representative, 2008 TN-VA MLS PRESIDENT,2008 NETAR Mark Keesecker Humanitarian Award, 2008 NETAR Gold Circle Service Award Winning Realtor

It is TIME for States to Stop Confusing Home Buyers!

A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:38:01 -0800

Is it Exclusive Properties or Exclusive Agents that Home Buyers are looking for today? Why all of the Confusion?

In real estate and other commerce, Encarta Dictionary defines the word "exclusive" as "restricting trade in some goods or services only to certain people or to those who have signed a contract or agreement."

An "Exclusive Buyer Agent" restricts his practice of real estate to ONLY real estate BUYERS, never sellers. But the second and most important qualifier for an "Exclusive Buyer Agent" is that an EBA can NEVER practice real estate in a company that lists property!

Many real estate buyers mistakenly think that by signing the state contracts which are mistakenly (or misleadingly) named "Exclusive Buyer Agency" Contracts/Agreements, that buyers are getting "Exclusive Buyer Agency Services." That is far from true in most instances, and states should cease and desist confusing home buyers in this manner!

The word ‘exclusive' has several meanings; but according to NAR® and NAEBA®, the word ‘exclusive' in labeling an agent or an agency practice has only one meaning.

The National Association of Realtors® (NAR®) in their 1993 copyrighted publication, Agency: Choices, Challenges and Options®, defined Exclusive Buyer Agency as follows: "The practice of representing only buyers and never sellers in a transaction. The company never lists a seller's property and thus never has a seller as a client....." The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) was founded and based upon NAR's strict definition of Exclusive Buyer Agent/Agency.

So why then, do states name their agency ‘contracts' Exclusive Buyer Agency Contracts? Here is my answer to that question, after almost 15 years of practicing as an Exclusive Buyer Agent in an Exclusive Buyer Agency!

States across the nation were being criticized for not providing home buyers with adequate disclosure of the type of agency a real estate agent was practicing. The numbers ranged from 63% to greater than 87% of home buyers who had no idea who their agent really worked for, even after they purchased a home. The buyers received no adequate verbal or written discloser before purchasing.

Buyer Agency became a popular catch phrase to describe a new breed of agents who worked for buyers. Designations for Buyer Agents became popular, and buyer agents did not like showing buyers so many homes, just to see them walk away and buy from the listing agent or another buyer agent.

Exclusive Buyer Agents, again those agents who do not ever work in or for listing companies, had Exclusive Buyer Agent contracts that are loyalty agreements between the EBAgent and the Buyer. Those EBA agreements, aka contracts, spell out specifically what the agent will do for the buyer (including no conflict of interest as in buyer/seller agencies) and how, when and by whom the agent will be paid.

In creating standard forms for agents in various states to use for their real estate transactions, states began by creating disclosure forms describing the types of agency practiced in their state. Invariably, Exclusive Buyer Agency was left off state lists or mis-defined.

In my own state of Tennessee, the state describes and defines only two types of buyer agency: ‘Designated Agent for the Buyer' or ‘Agent for the Buyer'. Once again, Exclusive Buyer Agency is ignored completely. And since real estate agents are advised to used the state contracts or risk not being covered by their Errors and Omissions insurance, it is time for states to recognize what NAR defined in 1993 as EXCLUSIVE Buyer Agency.

Tennessee's only options for establishing a written buyer agency relationship are 2 new 2009 state contract options: (1) Buyer Representation Agreement (non-exclusive) Designated Agency contract and (2) Buyer Representation Agreement (exclusive right to buy) Designated Agency contract.

The ‘Exclusive Right to Buy' Contract does NOT mean that the buyer is working with an Exclusive Buyer Agent; it merely tells the BUYER that he cannot use any other agent except that specific Buyer Agent to buy a property, or he owes that agent a commission. No wonder buyers are so confused when their own real estate commissions and associations cannot get buyer agency designation and definitions straight!

In the state of Tennessee, I suggest the following:

There should be a separate category of Buyer and Seller Agents, as NAR original described in their 1993 Agency manual to include:

Exclusive Buyer Agents and Agency: These agents and their agencies NEVER list a property or represent a seller, nor are they affiliated with any agency that lists property or represents sellers.

Exclusive Seller Agent and Agency: These agents and their agencies NEVER work for buyers or represent a buyer, nor are they affiliated with any agency that works with or represents buyers.

This would still allow all of those agents who both list and sell properties to continue defaulting when necessary to other forms of representation, i.e. designated buyer and designated seller agents, agent for buyer, agent for seller, transaction brokers, facilitators, dual agents, etc., depending upon who lists the property or who has the buyer.

But until states recognize and list Exclusive Buyer (or Seller) Agents in their disclosures, descriptions, and definitions for agency contracts, the confusion perpetrated by well-meaning boards and forms committees will continue.

Remedying and recognizing this one basic NAR definition of EBAs in Tennessee and throughout the United States would, once and for all, clearly identify those agents and agencies who practice one, two, three or all of the various types of agency in real estate transactions. The ‘remedy' in no way states that one type of representation is better or worse than another, but the clients can then identify ALL agency types and make an informed decision, without all of this confusion!

See our website at http://www.TNBuyerBroker.com or SEARCH for properties FREE and without registering at: http://www.tnbuyerbroker.com/mlsdata/mlslistings.htm

Written and Submitted by:

Janine J. Wilson, CEBA, CEBA-Master, ABR, CRB, GRI, SRES, e-PRO

Founder: A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively®

3908 Marable Ln, Johnson City, TN 37601

Telephone: 423-737-4040

2009/2010 NAEBA® National Convention Committee Chairman

Elected 2008 NAEBA Eastern Regional Nominating Committee Representative

2008 TN-VA MLS PRESIDENT

2008 NETAR Mark Keesecker Humanitarian Award

2008 NETAR Gold Circle Service Award Winning Realtor

What's the Difference between a Buyer Agent and an EXCLUSIVE Buyer Agent?

A Buyer's Best Choice Realty®: Buyer Representation Exclusively® — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:29:17 -0800

Customers and potential clients often ask the question, "What is the difference between a 'Buyer Agent' (BA) and an 'Exclusive Buyer Agent' (EBA)"?

The real TEST of a "True Buyer Agent" (TBA), better known nationally and internationally as an "Exclusive Buyer Agent" (EBA) is to ask the agent this question,

"Do YOU or does ANYONE in your Agency EVER list properties or represent sellers?"

If the agent, SAYS "YES", that ANYONE in that agent's Company lists property, the Buyer Agent (BA) is NOT, NOT, NOT an "EXCLUSIVE BUYER AGENT" (EBA), and there is a definite conflict of interest potential.

‘Exclusive Buyer Agents' (EBAs) never work for Sellers or list properties, NOR do they work in a company where ANY agent represents Sellers!

NO matter what type of representation the agent proposes to a buyer, whether (s)he will be a Dual Agent (what many call the ‘double agent'), or a ‘Designated Agent' for the Buyer or Seller, or a Transaction Broker, or Facilitator, there is a conflict of interest potential, and or you are you may not be receiving adequate or ANY representation.

Even when an agent says that (s)he will be your Buyer Agent and will not default or change agency status, files with your information may not be locked away from seller agents, faxes may be seen coming in by seller agents, offers may be discussed despite in-house rules for buyer -vs- seller agents, weekly ‘sales meeting' are held in most offices, and telephone conversations may be overheard in offices.

Representation by a Buyer Agent with in-house selling agents, is much like being represented by the lawyer-partner in the same firm of a person who is suing you.

CONVERSELY, the Exclusive Buyer Agent (EBA) represents buyers ONLY, ALWAYS, and EXCLUSIVELY! If the answer to the question above is "YES", then you are not getting Exclusive Buyer Representation.

To learn more: go to Janine and Ashley Wilson's website at http://www.TNBuyerBroker.com and also visit the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) website at http://www.naeba.org

Submitted by A Buyer's Best Choice Realty: Buyer Representation Exclusively in Tri-Cities, TN