We're NOT Just Door Openers!
We had an experience Saturday that made it clear to us that some prospective buyers agents are just door openers, a necessary nuisance to get access to the homes they want to see. We had a Zillow contact Saturday morning requesting to see one of our listings so of course we made the arrangements.
The Z-contact did NOT have an agent (we ALWAYS ask) NOR was she interested in working with one (she made that QUITE clear!). But then she asked to see another home, NOT one of our listings. So at this point, we've got two choices, SURE...A) we gamble and PRAY that she'll suddenly change her mind about using an agent and PICK US despite her stated aversion to buyer representation thanks to our charm, wit and expertise :) OR B) say "No", we can't show her the additional home.
We chose "NO" to showing the second home that WASN'T our listing. And if you're a consumer you may say WHY NOT?? Isn't it your job to show homes? And the answer is YES...but with CONDITIONS!
- We'll show any qualified buyer our listings, whether or not the buyer HAS an agent, because it's our job to SELL our listings. We WON'T try to shanghai the buyer from the other agent, we want the buyer to have full representation! Go back to your agent if you LOVE the house and let's get a contract together! Our listing agreement with the seller has already made provision to PAY that buyer's agent to represent you! (Did you catch that? The SELLER pays for the agents!).
- We'll show OUR buyer clients any home they want to see that they can afford. These are buyers working ONLY with us to help them find a home.
Do you see the common thread? In BOTH cases we're working for someone! We are loyal to them and them to us. We have a business relationship, an alignment of expectations for our roles.
Look closely at our signature block, our web pages, our business cards...NOWHERE will you find that we're a charitable organization with full IRS tax deductions! As a buyer's agent, we ONLY get paid if we find you the right home AND you let us write the contract AND get you all the way to closing! That's it...no closing, no check...we don't pay our bills and all those hours of putting wear and tear on our car, scouring for information to help you get a better deal...all for naught. We show you 50 houses and suddenly you right that offer with the Open House agent, or bring in sister Sue Ellen to write the offer after we did all the work....we get nada!
And again, you may see that as OUR problem and not yours, so let's look at it from your own perspective. How efficient is it for you to have to contact EACH listing agent to see a home? Time consuming isn't it? And don't forget, the agent's loyalty at that point is TO THE SELLER, not you as the BUYER! And DON'T assume that just because you go straight to the listing agent that they're going to give the seller a better deal on their fees just because they're doing both sides of the deal!
On the other hand if you commit to one agent, they can put together a series of showings back to back, what might have taken days can be done in a matter of hours and perhaps getting you in a position to buy the one you like before some other buyer! Your agent can get the information you need to make the best possible decision. Advise you of the pros and cons for EVERY house you view!
You don't have to pick us to represent you as your buyer's agent (even though Liz is an Accredited Buyer's Rep), but you DO need to PICK ONE agent, and ONLY one buyer's agent/team to represent you. Do that and you have our full loyalty and service. We'll show you plenty of homes, our listings or someone else's, IF you're working exclusively with us.
But if you're working with a herd of agents, and we're all just disposable servants to you....sorry, we decline to play that game. We reserve our time and loyalty to those that respect us. It's a mutual agreement, that respect thing. Life's too short to be otherwise.
Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz
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