THE HOME BUYERS, Inc.

A Buyer Only Realtor is a real estate agent that specializes in representing people buying homes. Buyer Only Realtors do not represent people who are selling their homes in order to avoid the conflict of interests that creates.

Buyer Only Realtors are also called Exclusive Buyer Brokers, Exclusive Buyer Agents, among other terms. However, do not confuse a Buyer Only Realtor with a traditional Realtor (one who represents buyers and sellers) who says "I will represent you," "I will be your buyer agent," or other claims that imply that a traditional Realtor can do everything a Buyer Only Realtor can do.

Buyer Only Realtors are the only agents that can guarantee you representation 100% of the time. Traditional agents are often legally forbidden from representing you. So Traditional Agents can’t guarantee to tell you if a home is overpriced, structurally unsound, or has other problems. Representation is important. Traditional agents may try to confuse or minimize their conflicts of interest by stating:

"I can still represent you. I just also must represent the seller."
"I still cannot reveal any confidential information about you to the seller"
"I am still required to treat you honestly and fairly"
"It (dual agency) is just some different paperwork—it would be the same—I will still help and look out for you"

All of the above statements are simply trying to persuade you to accept dual agency, which means you are not being represented.

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What is representation and why is it important?

Representation is important because it requires a Realtor who is representing you to be loyal to you and keep your information confidential, among other responsibilities. If you are working with an agent who is not representing you 100% of the time, the agent may be legally required to tell the sellers the following information about you:

how much of a mortgage you qualify for,
if the agent thinks you would be willing to increase your price,
your deadline for buying a home, such as a closing date on your previous home or lease expiration date,
how long you have been looking and how many homes you have seen,
why you like the home,
if you are tired of looking at homes, and
if you are really like or are "emotionally attached" to the home.

You may be thinking that your agent wouldn't divulge this information, but they are violating the law if they do not tell this information and they are representing the seller, even if they have never met or spoken to the seller before.

Not only will a Buyer Only Realtor never divulge this information (unless you wanted to), they will seek out useful information about the seller and the property, such as:

how much the seller paid for the property (this is public information)
why are the sellers selling the property?
how long has the property been on the market?
has the home been listed before and not sold?
are there potential problems with the property?
will it be difficult for you to sell the property after you have bought it?
are there property value, airport noise, road, traffic, or neighborhood issues that could affect your enjoyment?
is there an issue that may make this home a bad investment?

You will not see this information if you work with a traditional Realtor. They simply are not trained to evaluate homes for you, and they don't believe that is their responsibility. Read on to learn about a traditional Realtor's training.

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What training does a Buyer Only Realtor receive? How is it different from traditional Realtors?

Buyer Only Realtors are trained to evaluate home prices and detect problems in a home or neighborhood. Some of our people have distinctions such as Appraiser licenses, MBA degrees, or other advanced. degrees that help them represent you. They are also trained at negotiation skills effective at persuading sellers to accept a lower price. The Home Buyers are real estate investment advisors who help you to get the best investment possible.

In contrast, when traditional Realtors try to represent you (when it is legal), they are not trained to give the advice you need. Traditional Realtor are trained in selling and persuasion—to persuade you, a potential buyer, to buy a home. Traditional Realtors use what is called the Sales Approach, which focuses on persuading you to buy a home as quickly as possible. A home’s positive features are emphasized, and your questions are answered in a way that encourages you to buy. Likewise, a traditional Realtor is trained to sell homes—to persuade you to say yes. They are not trained in home analysis, finding a home that is a good investment, suggesting a price to offer, researching the seller’s position, negotiation strategies to get the lowest price, finding problems with a home. They are trained to emphasize the positive and minimize the negative, which does not help you. In fact, it often combines with the natural emotions all homebuyers experience to make for an unwise decision.

In contrast, a Buyer Only Realtor uses the Investment Approach to buying a home, which means each property is evaluated as an investment and negotiated with the seller to make sure the price is right. The investment approach is an intelligent analysis and discussion of the home’s positives and negatives. A home’s issues and the your questions are investigated and researched in detail. For examples of information that only a Buyer Only Realtor can provide, read on.

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Common Examples of Advice Realtors Can’t Provide

Traditional Realtors can’t guarantee they will provide the following advice. The Home Buyers guarantees we will (when it is in your best interests, of course):

Suggest a fair price to offer,
Tell you if the price is too high,
Point out problems with the home,
Give you negotiating advice that could hurt the seller’s position,
Tell why the seller is moving or anything that hurts the seller’s negotiating position,
Suggest that the seller pay some closing costs,
Suggest that the seller pays discount points, and
Suggest including additional personal property in the purchase agreement.

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What can The Home Buyers do for me?

The Home Buyers, Inc., Buyers-Only Realtors helps you:

find existing homes and new construction options from all sources,
see an independent evaluation of a home’s purchase price and neighborhood,
negotiation advocacy to get you the best price, and
attends and schedules your closing.

If you first must sell a home, we can help you evaluate all your options, help you save money, and make sure you get the best agent to list your home if that is the option you choose.

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Can you help me find a lot and/or a builder?

We help our clients find a suitable lot, find a reputable and effective builder, and many of the other tasks involved in building a home. Our fees are the same as with existing homes. Many of our past clients have told us our independence and expertise is even more crucial in building then in buying an existing home. A builder that does a poor job will leave you much poorer, more stressed and upset, and potentially homeless and deep in debt. Let an independent professional help you, because you don't want to find your builder through a model home or other type of advertising. The best builders often have no advertising, because they don't need it. Undecided about building versus existing homes? We help people understand the difference all the time. Just call us.

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What is the difference between a buyer agent, buyer broker, and Buyer Only Realtor?

A buyer agent, buyer broker, or buyer representative is a traditional Realtor unless they call themselves an Exclusive Buyer Agent, Exclusive Buyer Broker, or Exclusive Buyer Representative. The key issue is if they or their company ever, even infrequently, lists homes for sale. If they do, they are a traditional Realtor and they are not trained and legally not allowed to do what a Buyer Only Realtor can do for you. Unfortunately, some unprofessional traditional Realtors deceive consumers by claiming that they can do everything a Buyer Only Realtor can do. Quite simply, they cannot. To understand the differences in more detail, click here.

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What if I want to buy a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) home?

Then you should work with The Home Buyers. We encourage and receive information from private people who are selling their home on their own (which the industry calls FSBOs--For Sale By Owner). We share this information with our clients when it fits their preferred area, price range, and other criteria.

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I have a home that I am selling on my own. Will you show it to your clients?

If it fits our clients needs and they want to see it, absolutely. It gives another option for finding the best homes for our clients. Please fax in a summary of information about your home and make sure it includes your name, phone number, the property address, price, and other relevant information (bedrooms, type, garage, bathrooms, etc.).

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How do I become a client?

Call us to set up an initial meeting where we can discuss your needs and interests, our services, and see if there is a good match. We also will go over the homebuying process in as much or as little detail as you like, and point out ways to save money and find a better home. If you are accepted as a client, we will set up a homebuying plan that encompasses all of your interests and your timetable. Phone conference initial meetings are available for relocation clients. Click here for our contact information.

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I have to sell my home first, when should I contact you?

The Home Buyers should be your first call. Our services help you evaluate your homeselling options, including some little-known options that can save money and make homeselling easier. We can then integrate our homebuying services into the plan, and help you decide on the best overall plan for your move, including all our information resources about schools, commuting patterns, and market studies to find the type of home you are interested in moving to.

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Do you help me find a good mortgage or Loan Officer?

Yes. We ask all of our clients to evaluate their Loan Officer, so that you can profit from their experiences. As a result, we have a number of quality Loan Officers with a track record of excellent service and good rates, which we share with our clients. Finding a good Loan Officer is difficult, and the wrong decision can cost you thousands of dollars, a more stressful moving experience, and cause you to breach your purchase agreement with the seller. We can help you compare the following very important factors to help you decide on a lender:

interest rates,
discount points,
origination fees,
title charges,
other closing costs,
past customer references,
loan preapproval requirements and fees, and
overall record of quality records.

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