Buyer's Representation

The Bella Casa Team:  Standing Out From The Crowd 

     As your Buyer's Agents we work exclusively for you representing only your best interests! The best part is our services are completely free!  We are paid at the closing of your new home from commission paid by the Seller.  

You wouldn't -- for a lot of good reasons -- go into a contested divorce proceeding without an attorney, or worse, take the advice of your spouse's attorney.

Why, then, would you buy a home -- an adversarial process regardless of how friendly everyone involved in the transaction seems -- without someone on your side?

Do you think home buyers have always had representation? They have not.

As a buyer, you are not represented unless you've told the real estate agent who is showing you homes that you want that agent to represent you as your "buyer agent." If you haven't, "your agent" could be representing the seller.

Recently, more home buyers have been asking, "Who represents whom?" As a result, many are opting to be represented by a buyer's agent to take them through the process, from house hunting to closing. The greatest thing about this is it doesn't cost the buyer anything and often saves them thousands.

The way we were
Until a few years ago, real estate was sold the way it always had been -- the listing agent obtained the listing from the seller and represented that seller. A second agent, the "selling agent," brought the buyer to the table, but was acting as a sub (an agent of the listing agent) often unbeknownst to the buyer. In this situation, even though the selling agent may have never met the seller, he or she still had a legal obligation to report to the seller any information the buyer revealed, or any information the agent found out about the buyer's situation that would help the seller's negotiating position. That makes the agents sound evil, but in fact, if they had not communicated the information to the seller, they would have been breaking the law. Both agents had a fiduciary obligation -- a legal and moral obligation to work toward the best interests of the beneficiary. The seller was the client for whom agents were working. The buyer was merely the customer.

The revolution begins
In 1983, however, a classic study started a revolution in real estate sales. The Federal Trade Commission found that 72 percent of all buyers believed the agent they worked with was representing their interests. That meant that three out of four buyers were "spilling their guts to agents who weren't representing them," as one buyer agent wrote. The report fueled a nationwide legislative agenda that forced the real estate industry to disclose whom the broker or licensee represents in every situation. By 1988, most states had disclosure laws in place.

Buyer representation is not the exception anymore, it's the norm. Consumers now know they have the right to be represented.

Why choose a buyer's agency? While any agent will arrange property showings, suggest sources of financing, provide accurate information, explain the forms and agreements, and monitor the entire process, a buyer's agent should perform services for you that the seller's agents can't, such as show you reasons not to buy a particular property; negotiate the best price and terms for you; include contingencies in the contract that protect you, rather than the seller as in most standard contracts; and keep confidential any information that could hurt your bargaining position.

Your complete resource for buying a home!  Contact us today so we can get started!