Betsy A.
Churgai, broker
Island
Associates
Exclusive buyer's agents
by Elizabeth Razzi
"Exclusive buyer's brokers
work only with buyers and don't take listings. They're obliged to
help you find the best deals and lowest price. Unfortunately,
agency standards have changed so much in the past ten years that real
estate agents themselves are likely to be confused about their
obligations to buyers and sellers, even though in most places they are
supposed to give you a disclosure form explaining your
relationship." (I'm not confused! Here in Texas
we use a
form called "Information on Brokerage Services" that simply and clearly
outlines our duties. I go over this with my clients when we first
get together to eliminate any subsequent misunderstandings.)
House Hunting? Save by hiring your own
broker
by Carla A. Fried
"If you ever doubted the value of real estate agents who work solely
for home buyers (as opposed to traditional agents who report to
sellers, consider this: A recent study by U.S. Sprint found that 232
relocating Sprint employees who hired buyer's brokers paid an average
of 91% of a home's list price. People who us traditional agents
typically pay about 96%. On a house priced at $150,000, that's a
difference of $7,500."