All real estate agents are definitely not alike and the right knowledge and advice can make a big difference.

When you’re buying a home, having the right knowledge can literally mean the difference between thousands of dollars, more or less, in your pocket up front over the life of your home ownership.In fact, knowing what to buy, where to buy, how much to pay and how to get the best financing rates for your home will save you precious time, money and energy while looking for your ideal home.

When you work with The Farquhar Advantage Team, you’ll notice the difference.

 Buyer Agency and how it Protects You

An Agency Agreement is a written representation agreement between a client and a real estate company. It states very clearly that the company’s legal duty is to ensure the client’s interests are protected and promoted at every possible opportunity.In other words, under an Agency Agreement, the company must ALWAYS put YOUR interests first above everything else except the law.FACT: If you do not wish to be represented under a Buyer Agency relationship, the company you choose automatically must work for the Seller during the transaction. It’s either one or the other. Almost every home Seller on the market has already agreed in advance to pay the individual who brings the Buyer and sells their home. In fact, this is one of the mandatory conditions of being listed on the MLS system. Since the Seller pays the fees, if the Buyer does not have an Agency Agreement in place, their Realtor must work for the Seller as a “sub-agent” by law. In a situation like this, although they must be honest and cannot misrepresent facts, your Realtor is actually acting as an agent on behalf of the Seller and must protect their interests instead of yours.Here’s what happens in this scenario: all information gained about your situation, including financial information and what you are willing to spend may be shared with the Seller to enhance his or her negotiating position. It also means that when details are presented to you about the market statistics, the Realtor must show sale prices that validate the Seller’s asking price for the property.On the other hand, if a company works as your exclusive Buyer’s Agent, it owes you full confidentiality (they will not tell the Seller anything) and its duty is to make sure you are fully protected. You’ll be advised about the true market value of homes and about the best strategy to purchase your ideal home for the best price possible.

The caveat: Not signing a Buyer Agency Agreement may mean you will spend more than you need to, sometimes without even knowing it.The Buyer Agency Agreement gives the Realtor permission to represent ONLY your interests in the transaction, and it means that you’ll use that broker if you decide to purchase a home during the time period of the agreement. So, the choice is up to you – would you like someone to work for you, or to work against you? Either way, as a Buyer, your Realtor’s services are almost always FREE since they get paid by the Seller.