I had an open house yesterday and a guy came through to look at the place who didn't have an agent and didn't want one. He was only interested in seeing the homes I had for sell and that's it. Other wise he was going to deal with the listing agent directly. I assume he is doing this because he thinks he can save some money by not having a realtor. He is wrong!
By purchasing a house without a realtor representing you as a buyer then you put your trust into a listing agent you know nothing about. Also you trust that the listing agent is going to best represent you and the seller at the same time. To me it seems like there would have to be some sort of conflict of interest here. The seller and the listing agent could be best friends from childhood for all you know and have your best interest on the back burner.
Another advantage of using a buyers agent is they have knowledge of the market they represent. They can give you information about the home, like what it has sold for in the past and how long its been listed. They can even tell you what comparable properties in the area have sold for.
But if you do decide not to have an agent represent you please purchase one of my listings. I will make double!! The listing agent almost always makes double when an unrepresented buyer purchases the house because then they become that persons buyers agent and get a double whammy on the commission.
