Can a Buyer and a Seller Have the Same Agent?

Have you ever heard of the buyer of a home and the seller of the same home having the same real estate agent at the same time? This doesn't happen often, and for good reason. In fact, I highly recommend staying away from this situation.

When a real estate agent represents both the buyer and the seller for the same transaction, they’re called a dual agent. In some locations, dual agents are actually illegal, while in other areas, there aren’t any laws against them, but dual agents are frowned upon by the real estate community.

This is because a dual agent cannot truly do their job. A real estate agent is supposed to fight for their client’s best interest and offer the best guidance and advice possible. But a seller and a buyer have opposite interests when it comes to purchase agreements and negotiations. The seller wants to get their house sold for the most money possible while the buyer wants to buy it for the least amount possible.

But if an agent represents both the buyer and the seller for the same transaction, they cannot represent the best interest of the buyer and the seller at the same time. That means that in a dual agent situation, someone loses. A dual agent presents a clear conflict of interest. The agent can’t offer either party advice or guidance without breaking their promise to the other party.

When you hire a real estate agent, you expect to get full access to their knowledge, experience, and advice. But in a dual agent situation, you won’t be getting what you hired the agent for in the first place. My recommendation is to avoid this situation from the start. When you go to get your home ready to sell, find an agent who can guide you through the selling process. When you decide you want to buy or build a home, get an agent who can walk you through each step of the buying process and offer you the advice you need.

Are you looking for an agent to represent you and give you the advice you need to make the best real estate decisions for your future?

You Don’t Need These Things to Buy a Home!

Today, we’re busting some home buying myths that can seriously mislead people. I see the myths floating around all the time, but they’re just not true! Let’s bust these myths so you don’t fall into their traps.

Myth 1: You need a 20% down payment to buy a house. This is the classic homebuying myth–and it’s so wrong. While you do need to put money down to buy a house, there are many, many mortgage types out there that can decrease the amount you pay upfront. Some programs require as little as 3.5% down, which can make getting into a home so much easier.

Myth 2: You need perfect credit to own a home. Having excellent or good credit is helpful when qualifying for the best interest rate on a mortgage. But is it a requirement? Far from it! In fact, there are many loan programs out there to help buyers with less than perfect credit finance a home. You might be surprised at how low the credit requirement is for some of these programs. I’m happy to tell you more about them, so just send me an email if you want more information!

Myth 3: You need to do it all on your own. This myth is so wrong! When you’re a buyer, you have the opportunity to work with your choice of buyer’s agent, a real estate agent who will represent you as a buyer. Your agent will guide you through all of the ins and outs of buying a home, provide the advice and experience you need to make the best decisions, and be there to support you through the whole process. Plus, the seller typically pays the real estate agents’ commission, so you get all of that advice and guidance for free.

Buying a home can be complicated, it’s true. But now that you don’t believe these real estate myths anymore, you should feel much more confident and empowered to buy a home! A home is within your reach, and I would love to help you through the buying process.

Have any questions about buying a home? Just go to my connect page and send me a message.