Mercedes Smith, Equity Real Estate, 385-355-3959
Should people use a real estate agent to purchase a home?
Many buyers believe that they will get a better deal on a property if they don’t use a real estate agent. The truth is that, although commissions are always negotiable, the commission structure is negotiated and agreed upon between the seller and the listing agent’s brokerage before the property ever gets listed. This means that, as a buyer without an agent, you won’t necessarily save on commissions as the entire commission often goes to the listing agent instead of getting split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent as is typically done.
Buyers face an increasingly uphill battle for the few properties on the market. Buyers need an agent who is savvy with writing competitive offers, who can accurately gauge how much over asking you will need to offer (if at all) and who can write an iron-clad escalation clause addendum.