Why use a Buyer’s Agent?

Selecting a Realtor in the Bay Area:
The Importance of a Buyers Agent
For most families, choosing a new home is the biggest financial decision they will ever make. There are many complicated decisions involved in choosing your new home. To protect your interests and assure that you make the best possible decisions, it’s important that you have an buyers agent on your side who is an expert in the local real estate market.

As your agent, my focus is on getting you the best possible home at the best possible price. I will work hard not only in finding you potential new homes to see, but also in keeping you informed of everything that takes place.

It’s a little known fact among first-time home buyers (and even some repeat buyers) that the seller’s real estate agent, while no doubt professional and probably charming to buyers, has a legal responsibility to represent the seller’s best interest in all matters. No matter how likable an agent may seem to a buyer, it is important to keep that in mind. Much as a seller’s agent will work to get top selling price for the client, so too will a buyer’s broker strive to get the best deal for the buyer.

Having decided to buy a home, the first step in the process is to select the Realtor® in the bay area with whom you will be comfortable working with to get the job done.

A better question – Why Shouldn’t I Use a Buyers Agent?:

Did you know that there is no cost to the buyer for using a Real Estate Agent/Broker to help find and negotiate a home purchase? This often comes as a surprise to buyers. So the question really should be: “Why shouldn’t I use a Real Estate Agent to help me find a home?”

In a real estate transaction both the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent are compensated from a pre-negotiated commission paid by the seller at closing. In other words, as the buyer, you may as well enjoy the benefit of having a professional bay area realtor on your team, as there is NO COST TO YOU!

FINDING YOUR HOME: When it comes to helping you find a home, no one has more up-to-date information at their fingertips than a dedicate bay area realtor like Liz McCarthy:

  • Liz can quickly search hundreds of North Bay and Marin listings, represented by ALL the real estate firms and can arrange for a private showings that fits works with your busy schedule.
  • Liz can email or call you weekly with new listings or price reductions
  • Liz can usually show you homes before they even have their first Sunday Open House; sometimes even before they are listed for sale.   This is one of the advantages of working with a realtor who has good bay area connections.

NEGOTIATING THE PURCHASE: Buying a home entails a lot of legal and financial “stuff” and doing so without your own real estate agent representing you is simply not prudent:

  • Liz will help with due diligence before making an offer, including checking the prices of what comparable homes have sold for in the neighborhood.
  • Liz can help you understand the particulars of the property, including reviewing the disclosure packet, to make sure that you are making informed decisions.
  • Liz will work with you to write the offer, advising you on terms favorable to you and making sure your offer is attractive to the seller.
  • Liz has extensive experience negotiating for her clients and will work hard to get you the home you want at the price you want.

THE ESCROW: Once your offer is accepted and you are “in contract,” we will continue to work together to ensure a smooth escrow period.

  • Liz will work closely with you to make sure that the appropriate inspections and reports are obtained.
  • Liz will coordinate with your mortgage broker and the title company to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is being taken care of and in a timely manner.
  • Throughout the escrow period you will have the added confidence of knowing that you have a professional on your team looking out for you.
What is the difference between a Real Estate Agent and a Realtor?
All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR “®” logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again.

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions today usually exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be foolish to consider a deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a REALTOR®.