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I Don't Want a Buyers Agent! Let the Adventure Begin!

The most common call I receive everyday is for more information about a home that someone has found on one of our Internet websites. As part of our drill we always share that we offer our services as buyers agents. There are several answers that we receive while we are soft qualifying the callers. One is that they already have an agent, the second is they do not have an agent and are interested in having someone represent them, and the last is "I do not want a buyers agent, I just want the information and someone to show me the home!" It doesn't work that way. Buyers agents are compensated when a deal closes. No one pays our gasoline, reimburses us for our time spent educating a buyer. If a buyer thinks they will save the commission or negotiate it off the price...good luck to you. There is more to real estate than shaving a few per cent off the price of a home.

I received a call from a buyer the other day that we advised not to buy a home in 2007. Guess what? They purchased anyway. Now they want to sell and I cannot help them. They are upside down 100K. If they had listened to professional advice they would not be in a hopeless situation.

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Posted by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO on 04/30/2009 07:59 AM

Comments (27)

Atlanta Home Buyer Inquiries in the ActiveRain Channel

home buyer calls, agency, buyer agency, buyers agents, home buyer agents, atlanta home buyers, bying a home in atlanta, atlanta homes for sale

Originally posted at: Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate: I Don't Want a Buyers Agent! Let the Adventure Begin!

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27 Comments on I Don't Want a Buyers Agent! Let the Adventure Begin!

APR

good points Jim. I think sometimes folks are missing the fact that it may take us half a day to show that listing, in time we block out. We need to be fair to the sellers and not get them out of the house for several hours for people who may not have the means or commitment to make a purchase anyway.

Wanna-be buyers are a dime a dozen down here. A lady I know called me yesterday, asked that I send her some properties to see over the weekend--I called her back & asked her to get prequalified. Haven't heard back from her.

I like Dalia's term "wanna-be-buyers". In essence, they want their own private open house with no commitment on their part. Equally frustrating are the sellers who want to find their next perfect home prior to putting their home on the market. They always think THEIR home will sell quickly, but of course, we then learn they want an unrealistic price because they NEED to sell at a certain price in order to buy the new one that they've fallen in love with. Oh, the fun of this business!

I see more often they just want someone to show them around. Or will say they want to you be their agent and then go buy from some other agent.

With the internet more and more put less and less value on the professional service. Until like your example they are in trouble and want you to humpdee dumpdee back together again.

Excellent point and many buyers just do not get it!

your friend in Charlottesville Virginia!

Yeah.. I love that.. I always ask people like that if they would go to work if their boss said, they Might not get paid... :)

I like the wanna-be term too...problem is you never know who is who. I have pre-judged a number of times only to find myself writing an offer the first time I take someone out.

Buyer's agents are definately misunderstood....I think it's the term...kind of like personal shoppers :). We get paid on the other side!

I have a cute phrase that I tell these folks "there will be an open house this Sunday from 12 till 2. Why don't you go see it then since you will not need an agent to accompany you. Should you happen to be interested in the property, I'd be delighted to introduce you to one of our buyer's rep specialists who can assist you with a loan pre-qualification before they take any more of your valuable time looking at homes that are not within your budgetary guidelines."

Wanda Thomas, Billings Montana Real Estate (Montana Homestead Brokers) It is interesting when you explain all the facts...some just don't care! "It's all about me!"

DALIA KIBBY (KEYES COMPANY) Maybe they have no life and it is a game. To me it is a living.

Elaine Reese, REALTOR® in central Ohio (Real Living HER, Worthington Ohio) It really is a great term, because most of them do not qualify and have been turned down by other real estate professionals.

Mark Watterson Utah Real Estate (Principle Realty Group, Inc) Actually, I have found many of these are agents...albeit not so smart agents. Very deceptive.

Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) Charles I fully agree!

Konnie MAC, RDCpro (Konnie McKee ) I agree....I do not know what they are thinking at all!

Karen Parsons-Fiddler (Great Western Realty Group) Well one item is that in the past few years every one has a license. The term buyers agent, or consultants has been totally diluted by those in our industry that have not sold one home!

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Synergy I absloutely love it! Great one!

Jim, this was a CRAWFORD CLIFFHANGER! What was your answer to that looky loo? (insert drum roll here...)

If they do not want to work with me, I do not want to work with them. I wish them luck and move on. The unrepresented buyer's ego is often the problem.

Alyce Martin in Albuquerque - THE Place To Be! (Keller Williams Realty) LOL! The answer is always a "No!"

Mark Brian (Silver Star Real Estate LLC) Actually, more often than not it is a credit isssue on the buyers side. They have been turned down time after time.

I would offer the "buyer" to be their "no obligation" realtor for $1/mile taxi fee and $50/hr information/service fee. Tell em you will give them all their money back via a discounted commission if they end up letting you represent them making offers and they close on an offer you submit.

Between that and or asking who their prequalifaction lender is usually weeds out the Lookie Lous.

Still wonder what business coined the expression "buyers are liars"!!!

Jim, I never thought about this experience.

I get people who call sometimes, to get estimates for inspections. They just want the dollars, and don't want to give me time to tell them about me or my business. I had one of those today.

Reading your post, it occured to me, he might have been afraid of getting hooked in -- sense of not being in control.

Your post also brought to mind the car salesman who wants to know your name, address, phone number, bank account number ..... and all you wanted to do was look. Sometimes, I think people may fear that RE agents operate the same way.

MAY

Jim - Out of curiousity, what is the reason you informed that buyer not to buy? Was it financial or was it the house itself and/or price?

MAY

Hi Jim, After you told them not to buy, did you sell it to them. I think you might as well have gotten the commission instead of someone else. I wonder why folks don't take us seriously when we say that. I mean a Lawyer can give advice and they take it as gospel but an agent can and they don't.

MAY

phil If you say that to a buyer....they will tell you "If you don't... I will find another agent that will!" Atlanta is loaded with agents that will give out free information all day long, and open doors.

Andrew Haslett, Heartland of Kentucky's Best Home Inspector, (Van Warren Home Inspections, NAHI CRI) Actually, I think it is a new phenomenon after the Internet. Buyers like to research anonymously.

John Cannata - Mortgage Loan Consultant - Frisco Texas - Reliant Mortgage Ltd (Servicing Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Dallas, and more) A combination of things....at that time it was a deteriorating market conditions in a particular area.

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