If you are ready to buy a house and have been looking around at homes for sale, you might see one you really like. If you haven't yet hired your own real estate agent to help you buy a house, you might be tempted to call the listing agent for the house you like. This agent is the seller's agent, which means the seller of the house hired the agent to sell his or her home. You can hire this agent, too, to buy the house, but it's important to understand the pros and cons of hiring the seller's agent when buying a house.
Pros of using the seller's agent
When you buy a house, you can choose any agent you want to hire to help you through the process, and choosing the seller's agent does offer some benefits to you. The first benefit is the potential to pay a lower price. The person selling the house pays the commission for the sale, and sometimes a buyer's agent will cut you a deal because this agent would receive the full commission if you use him or her to buy the house.
The other benefit is that the seller's agent may know the house better than any other agent. The seller's agent would be familiar with the house, and because of this he or she may be able to answer your questions a little more thoroughly.
Cons of using the seller's agent
While using the seller's agent may have some pros, there may also be some cons as well. The main downside is that this agent works for the seller. Because of this, the agent might be more prone to push buying this particular house than encouraging you to take your time to look around at other houses.
The other thing to be aware of is that using the seller's agent presents the risk for a conflict of interest. When the seller hires the agent, that agent is supposed to look out for the seller's best interest. Because of this, you may feel like the agent is not watching out for your best interest, and this can create a conflict of interest.
Buying a house is a process that requires time and work, and you should never try to do it without the help of real estate agents. To hire an agent, contact a local real estate agency today to schedule an appointment with an experienced agent.
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