If you ever feel like paying too much for a home, then pass on working with a buyer’s agent in Michigan or deal directly with the agent who is selling the home.  As long as I’ve been involved in helping buyers get the real estate of their dreams in Southeast Michigan, I’ve yet to come across someone who wants to pay too much.

Why You Pay More

When you’re trying to find the right home, you’re not just shelling out money if you’re not careful.  You’re wasting a lot of time, and time costs money.  You can certainly find homes online, or by trolling open houses on the weekends.  You can even find houses looking for FSBO’s and homes that aren’t listed in the MLS.  With all that work you do, you’d imagine that you’d be saving yourself in the end.

But no – you really don’t.  You could wind up costing yourself more by going solo, or by using the listing agent of the property.  In many cases, first time buyers do a little research and think that they are going to be able to buy the home for less because the seller is the only one who has to pay the commission.

Unfortunately, this isn’t true.

Whether you’re dealing with Oakland county homes for sale, Wayne county homes for sale, or Washtenaw county homes for sale, the listing contract calls for the seller to pay a set commission to the Realtor’s involved; regardless of whether it’s one or two agents.

That means the seller of the home for sale in Oakland county has to pay the same commission whether their listing agent sells it, or your buyer’s agent helps you.  Therefore, it’s in your best interest to work with a buyer’s agent.

The Benefits of Working with a Buyer’s Agent in Michigan

Getting the Right Price – Don’t think working with the listing agent is going to get you the best price on the home.  They can’t work in the best interest of you as well as the seller.  A buyer’s agent on the other hand can help you find the right home at the right price.

Remember that the seller has already signed a contract with a listing agent, so that’s where the loyalty of the listing agent rests.  If you work with a buyer’s agent however, their fiduciary responsibility is to you and you alone.

Better Negotiations and a Stronger Contract – There’s a lot of benefits that come from having a stand-alone agent negotiating the price on your behalf.  If you pick-up a buyer’s agent in Oakland county or Wayne county, you can also get an independent purchase agreement contract that protects you.  In addition, your local buyer’s agent holds the deposit as opposed to a listing agent (who is contracted with the seller) controlling your money.

If you go it alone you won’t have any real advice on making the initial offer.  With a buyer’s agent you get someone that is a highly-qualified negotiator that will help you make a smart starting bid and adjust accordingly so get you the best price.

Complete Transparency – Remember that the listing agent has the best interest of the seller in mind.  While listing agents aren’t necessarily deceptive, you can expect more upfront transparency from a buyer’s agent who will show you recent sales of similar homes so you can determine the best offer price.

Ultimately, it saves you a lot more time.  You don’t have the legwork of trying to visit homes, compare prices and waste time gathering a lot of data on housing communities, neighborhoods and more.  A buyer’s agent saves you money, saves you time (money), and will always work in your best interest once you’ve secured your pre-approval with a Michigan mortgage banker.