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| What
do we do?
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Use
the Internet to send you latest MLS listings. -
Provide
information about towns and neighborhoods. -
Negotiate
the best price and terms for you, not the seller. -
Provide
you with the names of lenders, home inspectors, contractors, attorneys, title
companies, and other consultants. -
Represent
you, not the property or the seller. - Negotiate
on your behalf.
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What is
a Buyer's Agent? A
buyer's agent represents the interests of a buyer, not the seller. The buyer becomes
the client of the buyer's agent, not the customer. With a seller's
agent, the buyer is just a customer to
whom the seller agent has no obligations.
In contrast, under Massachusetts law, the buyer agent's fiduciary duties to her
client are:
| | | Obedience |
| | Loyalty |
| | Disclosure |
| | Confidentiality |
| | Accounting |
| | Reasonable
care and diligence | |
Who
does the agent showing you property represent?
The
agent who is showing you houses represents the seller, unless the agent specifically
tells you that she is a buyer's agent who represents you. When sellers list their
home for sale, they sign a contract with a real estate company. The listing contract
obligates all realtors, except buyer's agents, to get the highest price and the
best terms for the seller. | |
How
do Buyer's Agents and Seller's Agents compare?
| Services |
Buyer's Agent |
Seller's Agent | |
Select
houses to see. |

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Arrange
showings. |

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Explain
forms, agreements, and common practices in real estate. |
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Assist
with financing information. |
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| Point
out the negatives of a house. |
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| Keep
buyer's bargaining position confidential. |
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| Prepare
unbiased market analysis showing the fair market value of a house. |
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| Provide
access to entire market: houses listed in MLS, bank-owned property,
and houses that are for sale by owner. |
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| Research
property data at town hall and the Registry of Deeds. |
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Negotiate
and strategize best price and terms for buyer. |
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Write
offer with buyer's best interest in mind. |
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Recommend
the preferred experts for title searches, home inspections, home improvements,
and repairs. |
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| Monitor
closing. |
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| Should
you use a Buyer's Agent?
"Like it or not, the real estate agent helping you house hunt is usually
working for the seller and is legally bound to try to get the seller the highest
price. But buyers no longer have to fend for themselves. You can now hire a buyer's
agent to work on your behalf." (U.S. News & World Report) Are
buyer's agents effective? U.S. Sprint found that employees who hired buyer's
agents paid an average 91% of a home's list price, while those using seller's
agents paid 96.5%. Go
to top of page. | |
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| | Cape
Cod's best source for finding the right house in the right town right now. | |
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508-432-3411 Site
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