An important message from Tom Wemett – Homebuyer Advocate and Advisor
The traditional real estate industry has an ingrained sales culture. As a result who can you trust?
When a real estate licensee claims to be a buyer agent, will the licensee actually be your agent? Or, are they telling you something you want to hear, but that they are unwilling or unable to provide?
How does one find an “agent”? The general answer is to find a real estate licensee who:
- Is familiar with the local area.
- Has several years of experience.
- Has some industry specific designations such as GRI, CRS, ABR, CBR.
- Who you heard about from friends, relatives, or work associates.
There is a problem with these approaches. Everyone knows someone who is “in the real estate business”. I bet you know at least one person licensed and in real estate. So do your friends, relatives, or work associates.
Real estate licensees refer to themselves as agents.
In most instances they aren’t your agent but rather an agent for the seller. Or, not an agent at all but rather a salesperson. To reduce confusion, I like to refer to them as salespersons or licensees rather than agents.
You have to dig deeper and find out if they will represent your best interests at all times and in every situation.
A home is the largest expense you will have in your lifetime. Deciding who to work with needs considerable thought.
- Experience, familiarity with the area and industry specific training and certifications are important. But, these aren’t the most important criteria to use.
- You need someone to represent, protect and advocate for you, if that in fact is what you want.
- You need someone willing and able to take on the legal role and liability as your true agent.
- You don’t want a salesperson.
Find the Best Buyer Agent in your area.
I have an arrangement with a national buyer agent referral service organization. They help buyers find the best buyer agent to use in their area to help them buy their home. I have worked with this company, the owner, and their staff for more than 28 years.
They provide the third-party oversight. They follow-up and check with both the agents and buyers to see how things are going. They maintain a high level of professionalism at all times.
They are very knowledgeable and supportive of the concept of true buyer representation. They will do their best to find the right agent for you in your area for you to work with.
- They do the interview work for you.
- They know the questions to ask.
- They know the answers they need to hear.
They will find a buyer agent they are confident will be able to best serve you. There is no cost to you for this service.