It’s Good to Have an Agent on Your Side
The real estate market in San Antonio and neighboring areas has grown by leaps and bounds, the real estate market has gotten stronger, and homes are selling fast in San Antonio. I have had over 35 years experience in real estate sales and I have seen it all. I see that it is best to have the client be properly informed before they buy or sell their home.
The truth is, not all homes are the same. There are many different builders and quality varies in the construction of homes. Whether you are wanting to buy a new home or a pre-owned home, you should hire a buyer’s agent to help you through the process. I know that there are some people out there that think that they may get a better deal if they don’t use a buyer’s agent, but this is not true. It is false to think that a buyer negotiating directly with the seller, seller’s agent, builder, or builder’s agent (or even dealing direct with a seller in a for sale by owner situation) will get a better deal going it alone. The truth is, that the buyer usually gets much less than they think they would get. The seller usually already has factored a fee for the commission to the buyer’s agent into their sales price. Seller’s agents will also get more commission if the buyer comes in without a buyer’s agent. The seller (or builder) will not cut a lower price deal, as they have already set their bottom line. If you think you are getting a better deal if you cut out a buyer’s agent, then you probably paid too much for your house.
I have shown clients around to visit the best builders in town, only to have the buyers go it alone and purchase the home without me as their agent. Every time this has happened, the buyers call me during or shortly after closing wondering why they didn’t get this or that they felt the builder had promised them. Unfortunately, as I was not their buyer’s agent, I was not able to help hold the builder to agreements they had made (often not in writing – big mistake!). The buyers didn’t realize that the sales representative was not their buyer’s agent, but instead worked for the builder and had the builder’s bottom line and best interests in mind. When a buyer comes in without a buyer’s agent, the builder profits more and are reluctant to lower their price, because that would lower overall values in the neighborhood and affect future appraisals.
So it is best to be properly informed and have a knowledgeable buyer’s agent represent you when you want to buy your new home. Whether you are buying a new home, buying one of the custom homes available, or buying a pre-owned home, ask questions and make sure your agent has (or can find) the answers. Work with an agent and be sure you have representation for when things go wrong and you need someone on your side. Now do you see that you need a buyer’s agent?
