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Buyer's Representation: When is it right for you?

Helping people purchase homes is my specialty yet there are a few things that always come up when dealing with first time home buyers.  One of these things is buyer’s representation.  I get asked all the time “why should we have a buyer’s agent?’ and it is a good question.  Most of the time there is a Realtor representing the home so why not just use them? I am in the industry so the answer to me is clear but I will try and give you my best reasons why I think you should have your own agent for your home purchase.


1. Individual representation

When you see a house you like, whether that be online, at an open house or driving by a sign there is usually a Realtor representing the sale of that home, the Listing Agent.  What you need to know is that the Listing Agent’s initial duty is to the person or persons selling the home.  If you approach the listing agent and ask them to represent you they now have 2 choices: one is to treat you as a customer; and two is to treat you as a client.  If the agent chooses route one then they are still acting in the best interest of the Vendors selling the home and not actually working in your best interest. They may assist you and do owe you honesty and integrity in their dealings, but at the end of the day their loyalty is to the Vendor.  If they choose option two the problem then arises that the agent is now representing both parties, and how easy is it for them to work in the best interest of one party without harming the other? The answer is it’s not simple.  The agent almost acts as mediator between the two parties to come to a mutual agreement. This is one reason why I would recommend picking your own agent before you take interest in a property.


2. Better purchase price


I am asked all the time:  “won’t I get a better deal on the home if I work with the listing agent?”  The answer is almost always no.  If a home is on the MLS there is already a contract signed with the vendors that agrees to pay a buyer’s agent from the proceeds of the sale.  If you decide to purchase through the listing agent all that means is that they receive both the selling and buying commission of the sale, yet as you can see from point 1 that it does not necessarily mean they are representing both sides in the best way possible.  Your best chance of getting a better deal on a home is to have your own agent who is a skilled negotiator and knows the market.  They can fight for what you want.  There is no cost to buyers for using their own agent.


3. Do I need to sign a contract to buy?

This one is a bit trickier as some provinces will not allow people to purchase a home without having what is called a “buyers contract”.  What these contracts do is tie you to a single agent for a home purchase.  Now you may ask why, and the honest answer is: to protect yourself.  You can meet with and interview any realtors you want and if/when you find someone you like you can choose to sign a contract.  This will contractually obligate the agent to help you find a home.  These contracts are not required but IMO are highly beneficial.  Any agent with a signed buyer’s contract is going to work hard to get you what you want.  If you are just seeing things with multiple agents willy nilly, then it is harder for any of them to take you serious and really get you where you need to be for your purchase.


4. Second pair of eyes

Charting the waters of a home purchase can be a daunting and there are a lot of things to look for.  To most people, a home purchase will be the largest purchase in their lifetime.  Yet, we often make these buying decisions in a matter of hours.   Usually people have 1-2 showings before putting in an offer and maybe have a home inspection after that.  That’s it.  Maybe 4-5 hours for something you are going to live in 24/7.  Choosing a buyer’s agent will help you see things you may not think about.  While you may be looking at the sizes of the rooms, the colours, or the layout I will be looking for the potential problems and things that you may overlook.  You have to remember that you are looking at a home and sometimes that emotion can blind you from the necessary diligence needed when going through a home.  Until it is your home it is a house and I will treat it as such.  I will be brutally honest about the flaws, the potential issues, things that need to be fixed.  In any given month I am touring anywhere from 50-70 houses.  I know what to look for and how to write contracts that keep you covered.


I truly think that every person when buying or selling a home should have their own representation from a licensed Realtor.  The benefits to you for protection, knowledge and experience can only be given in its full potential from your own Realtor.  If you have any questions about anything you read above or want to chat more about how a Buyer’s agent can help you, please reach out, this is my specialty after all!



Buyer Representation Agreements

#AgentLogan


Logan Queen

Tel: (204) 226-1261
Email: Logan@JenniferQueen.com

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Eight Years and Eight Lessons in Real Estate

Pictured: My first sale - a condominium for a lovely couple along St. Anne's Road shortly after getting my license. They had tried to sell privately and gave up.



June 2019 marks my eighth year in real estate.  I ALWAYS wanted to be surrounded by real estate.  I remember going to a multitude of open houses just so I could take it all in.  What actually propelled me to finally taking action was a television show on HGTV about a female realtor in Canada that built a successful real estate business, then team, and ultimately brokerage for herself.  I thought, if she can do it, why can’t I? 



ASIDE: Don’t worry Stan, I have no intention of starting a brokerage after observing what you do day-in and day-out for the last eight years. No thank you! Let me sell things!



I am still learning something new every day, even after 550 deals and counting (if my calculations are correct).  I was recently reading Ben Franklin’s Autobiography and found his 13 Virtues still very relevant for today. He was really onto something.  To that end, I have picked eight virtues that I feel are still relevant to what I have learned in my eight years in Real Estate:



  1. Silence.  Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation. We must listen openly and honestly to our clients. We all have our own biases and backgrounds, however we are not truly serving our clients best interests if we try to insert our own beliefs and opinions into their decision making process.  Yes, we are there to provide guidance and an education on the home buying and selling process, but not to influence it with our own opinions or biases.
  2. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.  Sometimes it is okay if you respond to your emails at the end of the day.  Focus on the client you are with, they are the priority.  Learn how to prioritize your business to save your sanity (I am still learning this one). I could go on.
  3. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.  Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign resounded with so many because it was simple, and was a message that we all needed.  Do what you should do.  Set your goals, go out and take the steps you need to achieve them.  Whether that be in a new marketing campaign, new listing, or hitting new sales goals. We are often our biggest obstacles, and getting over ourselves and getting to brass tacks is the only way to achieve true success.
  4. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e., Waste nothing. There are always new shiny objects: flashy marketing ploys, tools for realtors, etc. Some are useful, but the majority do not stand the test of time.  Look at your core competency, constantly work to streamline and improve it, and grow from there. 
  5. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions. Keep it simple.  Similar to point 4 above, work on those core competencies and just get really good at them. Hone in on them.  Revamp, streamline, improve. Learn to be the BEST at what you do. If you aren’t getting better, you are getting worse.
  6. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly. Judge Judy is my guilty pleasure, and one of my favourite lines from her show is “If you tell the truth, you don’t need to have a good memory”.  She is right.  Honesty is always the best policy, especially when it comes to what will be most people’s largest purchase in their lifetime. Sincerity equals longevity in this business.
  7. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.  Stealing a line from my lessons blog of last year: there are two ways to build the tallest building in town. I know, this sounds weird, but there are two ways to look at business: 1. You can tear down all of the businesses around you to become the tallest building, or; 2: You can just build the tallest building.  This can be a tough industry as my colleagues or friends within the business are often my competition, and an industry set up such as this can lead to dissension amongst peers and sometimes downright dirty tactics to obtain clients.  But karma exists. Always choose to build the taller building.
  8. Humility.  Which to me means keep your pride in check.  Be humble.  I think to say it most succinctly, “stay hungry, stay humble”. 


So what do the next eight years look like?  I have no clue.  As I write this we sit as a team of four agents and one full-time administrator. We are currently sitting just shy of 80 deals halfway through 2019.  I like the size of this team.  We are small enough that we are all close and know what is going on in one another’s business, but big enough that we can take time off and know that our clients are well taken care of.  We are also the perfect number for two golf foursomes. But growth never came from comfort zones! Stay tuned!


Jennifer Queen Top Winnipeg Realtor#AgentJen


Jennifer Queen

Phone: (204) 797-7945
Email: Jennifer@JenniferQueen.com

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