I heard about a buyer who texted his agent on a Monday morning about a few homes he wanted to see. He heard back 26 hours later.
While he waited, he texted the listing agents himself, and they answered right away. By the time his agent replied, he was convinced buyer’s agents were a waste of money, and he was asking the question a lot of buyers ask me. Why not just go straight to the listing agent?
It is a fair question. Some buyer’s agents do not earn it. And going direct looks like it fixes two things at once. You get your answers, and the money that would have gone to your agent is yours to negotiate with.
What He Found Out
He was ready to make an offer on a house with no agent of his own, so he asked the listing agent what that would save him. She told him it would save him a little. He worked it out at half of what he had figured, at best. To keep that, he would run the inspection, the contract, the deadlines and the negotiating himself, on top of his job. Miss one deadline and the contract can be void. He is a finance guy. He could have figured it out. He would rather pay someone good to do everything.
Those are his words, not mine. “You put in the effort and go above and beyond, and you’re worth the money. If you’re not, you’re making my life more difficult.”
So he hired an agent who put in the effort. She asked why they were moving, which the first one never did. When he asked to see a house at six on a Monday evening, she called back in five minutes and asked if he could drive over right then. She wrote the offer, negotiated it, and walked him through every page. He was under contract the next day. He said it was less for him to think about.
So should you just go straight to the listing agent? You can. The listing agent will answer you fast, because the listing agent has a house to sell. Before you do, ask what it saves you, and ask yourself who runs the deal after that.
If you call me about one of my listings, I will tell you up front that I work for the seller. If you want less to think about, call me before you make an offer on anything.
Talk With Susan Today — 865.591.9204
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