Quote:
Originally Posted by Special K
Thanks for the input Miss Crayon. I see buying a house just like buying anything else. Whoever gets me the best deal and meets my needs win the commission.
Perhaps I haven't found "the" agent I can work with. We are debating a house in Coquitlam or a condo/townhouse in Vancouver for $700k-$1m.
Agent 1: He has a bias towards Vancouver and seems knowledgabe only in Vancouver. Shows no interest in Coquitlam (and actually bashes it). Lack electronic communcation skills. But he is a family friend.
Agent 2: Perfect communciation. Sends me Coquitlam listings often and not pushy at all. However, she doesn't explain much (see Agent #3). No ties at all.
Agent 3: Close friend referral. Very knowledge in Coquitlam and explains everything. However, he shows us the expensive stuff and is pushy.
These are the reasons why we are keeping all three. They all have different perspectives. We just want to find the best/suitable purchase. What would you recommend doing differently?
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It's not really like buying anything else though, because the 'deal' that you end up with invariably has nothing to do with whoever you choose as a realtor. All agents have access to the same properties. What you are looking for is the agent who can connect you with the property that suits your needs most appropriately. ie. You can't tell all 3 agents you're currently working with to get you the best deal on this 1 property you are set on and you will sign on with that one, it doesn't work like that. I'm not sure why you are bothering to keep all 3 agents since none of them meet all your needs; what are the odds they can help you find the property you are looking for (especially since good and reasonably priced properties sell within days of listing)? Have you tried telling each of your agents what they are lacking, and how they can better work for you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Special K
It may seem like I'm wasting people's time. However, IMO, I don't care. We are committing ourselves to 25-30 years financially. My realtor has no incentive and shares no risk to be in my best interest.
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Well realistically you aren't wasting anybody's time. It doesn't take agents very long to set up your criteria in the areas you are looking for, and any time a new listing pops up it just gets emailed to you. But don't expect any agent to actively show you around different listings and represent you until you have sign on an agreement with them. You are right, your agent has no incentive to share your risk, especially 25-30 years down the road. That's why you NEED to know exactly what it is you are looking for, that way you can at least filter out the BS that many agents will spew off to you to convince you of their own agenda.
In this day and age with the ease of access to information, you could realistically get the best deal by not having a representing buying agent. It sounds like you have access to the new listings in your respective areas from your current 3 agents already. If you find something you really want, represent yourself and tell the selling agent to give you a break on the price of the home since there is only 1 side's commission to take care of.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4444
It's not that B would get the commission from A, they would sue you for the commish.
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And B can't sue you for that unless you sign on with them. But if you sign on with B, why would you buy a property from A? Both agents have access to selling the same inventory.