Kiplinger's Personal Finance - Recommends Using an Exclusive Buyer Agent in this March, 2007 article. (They have written many along the same lines in previous years..) Consumer Reports, Money Magazine, CNN Money, the Wall Street Journal, Medical Economics Magazine, the Consumer Federation of America, and many others have all done the same..

An Exclusive Buyer Agent is an agent that never lists company for sale - nor does their company.  They never represent sellers - ever.  On the other hand a "buyer's agent" works for a company that lists property for sale - and they themselves usually list property for sale.  Whether they are practicing designated agency or dual agency - those are not good things for the buyer...  

I like the fact that the article points out that "Agents are paid a cut of the selling price, so the higher the price, the better for them -- but not for their clients." As Exclusive Buyer Agents - we ensure that "the higher the price - the worse for us" - which puts us in alignment with out buyer client's interests.

We make a little bit more when our buyer's price goes down. The definition of insanity is hiring someone with financial interests that are in opposition with yours. When you purchase a used car - the used car saleman's interests are just that. Like a dog - we "work hard for our scraps" - and we believe that everyone does in this world... So when consumers hire a so-called buyer agent that makes more when their price goes up - they are really doing themselves a dis-service....

When I bought a home when coming in for a position at Motorola in the 90's - the "company referred agent" (read relo company) I had - kept trying to work me over to come up in price - and it really teed me off. She was acting like she was representing the seller and not me. She also referred an awful home inspector - who glossed over many things that should have been found. Many agents refer inspectors that "won't blow the deal" which is really a disservice to the buyer.

I realized then that home buyers needed much better protection than what they were getting - which is why I started this company.... to provide the best possible protection and representation to home buyers... I feel great about what I do for a living - becuase it has the most integrity to buyers in the Real Estate industry...