As a buyer, your purchase prospects should be unlimited -- don't accept anything less. An exclusive buyers' agent will make available properties for sale by owner and even properties that may not be listed for sale. You didn't know that? Neither did we, but now we know that an agency's listings, or even those in the local Multiple Listing Service are not a complete presentation of what is really on the market!
For example, as a seller, you employ a real estate agent to help you sell your property; as the employer, you determine the level of service to be provided by your employee, as well as the fee you agree to pay for those services. Ray Wilson advises you on how to select a real estate agent to represent your interests -- and gives you information that empowers you as an employer, with practical advice on defining your service expectations. Insight into avoiding traps set up by the traditional commission set up in favor of listing agents is invaluable -- this is where you really can save by understanding details seldom revealed to sellers or buyers.
This book is highly recommended by the webmasters of pru-florida.com -- Prudent Florida Home Buyers and Sellers, the realty web site for consumers.
Six years ago organized real estate was still in a struggle to preclude real estate brokers and agents from representing buyers. Today, every part-time, know-nothing with a license is a "buyers' agent." (The organized real estate industry is still fighting laws that force them to tell sellers and buyers who they represent!) What do you really know about agents, selling real estate, or buying real estate? What does "buyers' agent" really mean? What are the agents' and brokers' duties? What does "your" agent owe you? Why is a dual agency too often dual fraud?
If you are about to enter the real estate game, this book will tell you the rules. Every homebuyer and seller needs this book for his or her financial self-defense and for his or her peace of mind. Will it matter to you if "your" agent harms you from malice and greed or harms you from simple stupidly? Trust me, it is going to hurt either way. You can pay attorneys thousands of dollars after the problem or you can read this book and preclude the problems before they happen.
It is also a story of real human interest with heroes -- buyer agents and certain seller agents -- struggling to bring consumer reform, and of real-life intrigue with plotting vested interests organized in a campaign to dupe lawmakers with pseudo-reform legislation, in effect sabotaging efforts toward genuine reform.
Historically, the real estate profession provided agency only to sellers, though buyers paid for all fees through the price, and although buyers in particular had to literally live with the consequences of buying without the protection of agency. Today, facing competition from genuine buyer's agents, and growing consumer awareness of their value, the traditional agents seek to change the laws so they can simply call themselves "buyers' agents" or "buyers' brokers."
Finally, Bought, Not Sold is a credible work with endorsers of national stature representing a broad spectrum of expert perspective. It is of value not only to consumers, but to providers in real estate and associated professions who want a realistic perspective.