Buyers: Here's how we get paid, and what that gets you.
How we get paid
Many agents who work with buyers avoid talking about how they get paid. Some even tell buyers that their services are "free" because they're paid for by the seller's sale proceeds.
This makes no sense to us. So here's the deal:
We get paid a percentage of the sale price at closing. The amount is determined by the seller and seller's agent, and varies, but is usually between 2%-3%. In some cases, buyers make up a small percentage difference at closing. So, if you buy a $400,000 home with us, we might get paid $10,000-$12,000.
Every time we work with buyer clients is different. Sometimes the process takes a few days, sometimes it takes months to close on the right home on the right terms. But on average, we provide 120 hours of service for buyer clients.
That's an average of $83 per hour. And if you do not end up buying a home? We get paid nothing. We invest our time up front and take on the risk.
What that gets you
A good buyer agent will do hundreds of things (yes, really) for you, but at the highest level they will help you gain two things:
1. Confidence in your decisions.
Our agents have the knowledge and skill you'll need to deeply evaluate the homes you look at. That does not mean looking at past sale prices and doing a tour with you, though we do do those things too. It means knowing how to read (and read between the lines) the seller's property disclosures and inspection reports, and understanding what issues with a home are and are not big problems.
2. The best deal you can possibly get.
In other words, we'll save you money. The price you offer on a home is always your deciison, but our job is to help get you to that decision with as much context as possible. No, the best price to offer is not what Zillow says it's worth. It's based on your agent's knowledge of the home, the local market, and their negotiating skills. This is an art and a science. And a real estate transaction is like everything else: you get what you negotiate. Counter-offer, contingencies, timeliness - we'll work through it all for you.
Those are two big things, out of hundreds. From managing the documents you'll need to sign, to recommending service providers you'll need, we have all the bases covered. Because buying a home is a big deal with lots of money and emotion at stake.
You deserve serious represetation. We're here to deliver it.