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Home Home and Family Home Should Home Buyers Buy Directly From The Listing Agent?
Should Home Buyers Buy Directly From The Listing Agent? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Joe Manausa, MBA   
Some home buyers believe they may get a better deal on a home when they work with the agent who has listed the home for sale. They hope the real estate agent will slash his or her commission, enabling the seller to accept a lower price on the home. Or the home buyer may feel they will gain better insight into the sellers' motivation or additional details on the property condition.
by JoeManausa,MBA


Some home buyers believe they may get a better deal on a home when they work with the agent who has listed the home for sale. They hope the real estate agent will slash his or her commission, enabling the seller to accept a lower price on the home. Or the home buyer may feel they will gain better insight into the sellers' motivation or additional details on the property condition.

Other homebuyers believe working with the listing agent creates a conflict of interest, and that the agent working for the seller cannot possibly have the home buyers' best interest at heart. They may be concerned that the listing REALTOR will keep details from them to avoid issues during the purchase, or they might believe the real estate agent will not give an accurate opinion of the home's value. Another common thought is that it is in the agent's best interest to get the highest sales price, which conflicts with the home buyer's goal to get the lowest price.

Of course, these scenarios are possible. When buying or selling a home in Tallahassee, real estate agents work as Transaction Brokers - meaning the REALTOR is working to "facilitate the transaction", not to provide legal representation to the homebuyer or seller. In Florida, it is presumed that all real estate licensees are operating as Transaction Brokers unless either a No Brokerage or Single Agent relationship has been agreed upon, in writing.

A Transaction Broker, like all Tallahassee real estate agents, is required to provide a number of duties and uphold certain principles. All Florida REALTORS working as Transaction Brokers must: A. Deal honestly and fairly. B. Account for all funds properly. C. Use skill, care and diligence in the transaction. D. Disclose all known facts that materially affect the value of the property - even if they are not readily observable to the buyer. E. Present all offers and counteroffers in a timely manner. F. Limited confidentiality, unless waived in writing by a party.

But that's what the law says. The reality comes down to relationships.

My best advice is simple. As a home buyer, establish your relationship with a top real estate agent in Tallahassee first, then go find a home for sale. If the home happens to be listed by the agent you've selected, that's not a problem because you've selected a great REALTOR who you can trust.

So should you work with the home seller's listing agent? I would not recommend this as your best choice if you found the house and the agent came with it. The most important thing to remember when working with a real estate agent is whether or not you see value in that agent. If you were smart enough to choose your agent first, then there will be no conflict and you will do very well when buying a home in Tallahassee (or anywhere else for that matter).

About the Author:

Joe Manausa has been brokering homes in Tallahassee for more than 21 years. You can learn more about Joe at his Tallahassee Real Estate Website, and see all of the homes for sale in Tallahassee with pictures there as well.. Check here for free reprint license: Should Home Buyers Buy Directly From The Listing Agent?.

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