What homebuyer representation mean to me…
Here’s the truth:
Interest rates are persistently high. Home prices also remain high. Many sellers are resistant to negotiating, even as the number of homes available to buyers grows.
It’s a tough market for buyers.
I said tough, not impossible. If you want to purchase a home right now, I’m prepared to make that happen. It just takes strategy, smarts, and tenacious representation.
These things are what I’m all about.
Here’s what you can count on from me when you hire me to represent you:
I will save you money
It’s very easy to overpay for a home right now. But how do you know what’s enough, and what’s too much? Tens of thousands of dollars hinge on the answer to that question, and I’m prepared to help you answer it.
Any real estate agent can collect “comparable” sales information. In fact, you can find recent sale prices in your neighborhood right on Zillow. But determining what to offer for a home really hinges on what’s incomparable – what is said, and not said, in the seller’s disclosures, the inspection reports, and in our communication with the seller’s agent.
Believe it or not, most real estate agents don’t have the skill necessary to do these things, or simply don’t bother. Their clients often overpay.
I believe I save our clients more than I charge for my services. That’s what strategy, smarts, and tenacious representation do.
I will help you get it right
You’re not buying a toaster; you’re buying a home—the place where you live life, an extension of yourself. The stakes are high, financially, of course, but in nearly every other way, too. You need to get it right.
I will help you get it right. That means due diligence, a fancy legal term for being careful. How do you know if a foundation issue is really an issue, or if the roof can really last another ten years, as the seller claims? And what about local zoning ordinances? Is homeowners insurance widely available for this home?
You need answers to these questions before you close. Unlike the toaster, homes do not offer free returns.
I will fight for you
A real estate agent who represents a seller has a legal responsibility to their client to get as much of your money as possible, on the terms least favorable to you.
My job is to have you keep as much of your money as possible and secure the best terms for you. Should we ask the seller for a credit for the sewer lateral upgrade? Do we agree to a 30-day close when you really want to move in 10? We may even be able to negotiate a credit to cover the cost of my fee.
This is what tenacious representation is, and I am great at it.
The secret: What a great agent really does
For years, people have believed that what an agent does when they work with buyers is mostly these three things:
- Find homes and show homes
- Be a neighborhood guide
- Manage paperwork
Why do people believe this? They believe this because this is what real estate agents have said they do, and they have said this because these are the easiest things to do. The secret is this: There are lots of agents who can only do the easiest things. They don’t have the training or skill to do the hard things, the things that matter most for their clients.
Yes, I will help you identify the right home, but the truth is that pretty much every home on the market can be viewed on Zillow, Realtor.com or other search apps. I will also show homes to you, and I know our region as well as anyone.
A great agent does the easy things but delivers the most value on the hard things: protecting your money, mitigating your risk, and fiercely advocating for you.
My fee
My fee is performance-based. In other words, if you don’t buy a home, or decide, at any time to stop working with me, you pay nothing.
Buying a home is a big commitment; I won’t ask you to make another big upfront commitment just to work with me. The process of buying a home could take days, weeks, or months. I give you the flexibility you need to deal with this reality.
My fee is 3% of the sales price of the home you buy. This amount is payable at the close of your transaction. It is highly probable that the seller will offer to cover all of the majority of my fee. I may also be able to negotiate a credit from the seller that can be used toward my fee. Let’s discuss…. you are in full control of this process!