If you’re scrolling Zillow at midnight looking at homes in Columbus, Powell, Dublin, Westerville, or Lewis Center, it’s easy to think, “We can just click ‘Schedule a Tour’ and figure the rest out later.” Totally understandable—but also how a lot of buyers end up under-represented, overpaying, or flat-out confused. Let’s talk honestly about whether you really need your own agent in Central Ohio… and what happens if you don’t.

1. “We’ll Just Call the Listing Agent” (Here’s the Problem With That)

The listing agent’s job in Dublin, Powell, Evans Farm, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Westerville, Lewis Center, or Delaware is simple:

Get the best possible deal and terms for the seller.

They can absolutely be friendly, helpful, and professional—and still be negotiating against you. That’s their job.

When you go straight to the listing agent:

• You’re giving up leverage before you’ve even written an offer.

• You’re telling the seller, “We don’t have our own pro looking out for us.”

• You’re relying on the person hired to maximize the seller’s outcome to “help” you structure yours.

Could it work out fine? Sure. But if we’re talking about a six-figure purchase in Columbus… “fine” is a pretty low bar.

2. What a Buyer’s Agent Actually Does (Beyond Unlocking Doors)

Most people think we just open doors and write offers. Cute. Here’s the real list:

• Pre-game strategy: Budget, neighborhoods (Dublin vs. Westerville vs. Lewis Center vs. Delaware), schools, commute, resale potential.

• Property triage: Which homes are worth seeing and which are just well-photographed money pits.

• Offer strategy: Price, terms, contingencies, timelines—each tuned to this house in this micro-market.

• Negotiation: Inspection issues, appraisal drama, request for credits, possession terms, all of it.

• Problem-solver-in-chief: Lender hiccups, title surprises, HOA weirdness, last-minute seller “oh by the way…”

In other words: your buyer’s agent is the one person in the transaction whose job is to say, “This doesn’t feel right—let’s slow down and fix it,” even if that means not closing a deal.

3. “But I Find All the Homes Online Myself—Why Do I Need You?”

You absolutely can (and should) browse homes online. But let’s be blunt:

• Portals don’t tell you why that Evans Farm home has been sitting for 60 days.

• They don’t tell you which Westerville street looks quiet but turns into a cut-through at 4:30 p.m.

• They don’t tell you a Lewis Center house is priced like it’s 2022 while everything else is quietly reducing.

I’m inside these homes, talking to these agents, watching real offer terms in real time across Columbus, Powell, Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Lewis Center, and Delaware. You’re seeing the polished surface; I’m seeing the wiring behind the wall.

Use the portals to dream. Use your agent to decide.

4. New Construction: The Most Common “We Don’t Need an Agent” Mistake

This one is sneaky. You walk into a beautiful model home in Dublin, Powell, or Delaware and the on-site rep says:

“We can handle everything for you—no need to bring your own agent.”

Reminder: they work for the builder.

Without your own representation, you’re trusting the builder’s team to:

• Explain every clause in a builder-friendly contract

• Flag lot premiums, upgrade pricing games, and future resale issues

• Protect you on inspections, timelines, and change orders

In places like Evans Farm, Lewis Center, and new pockets of Westerville and New Albany, I’m constantly helping buyers navigate builder contracts, spec inventory, and “incentives” that aren’t always what they seem. You don’t pay extra to have your own advocate—the builder already budgets for buyer agent compensation.

5. What It Costs You (And How to Make Me Earn It)

In most Central Ohio deals:

• The seller pays the brokerage compensation that covers both the listing side and the buyer side.

• You get representation without writing a separate check to your agent at closing.

The real question isn’t, “Can we save a few bucks by going it alone?” It’s:

“If representation is already baked into the deal, why on earth would we not use it—and why wouldn’t we make sure we’re working with someone who’s actually sharp?”

So yes, you can technically buy without a REALTOR®. You can also represent yourself in court and cut your own hair. Some people pull it off. Most regret it.

If you’re even thinking about buying in Columbus, Powell, Dublin, Evans Farm, Westerville, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Lewis Center, or Delaware, let’s grab coffee, walk through the process, and see if it makes sense to work together. No pressure, no sales pitch—just straight talk about how to play this game well.

[Contact Patrick Murphy, REALTOR® — Columbus, Powell & Dublin Expert]