Our Pledge and Commitment
We guarantee buyer clients with COMPLETE LOYALTY and ADVOCACY 100% OF THE TIME. Our unique approach often saves our clients time and money.
Unlike traditional Realtors: We don't 'sell' homes, and we don't 'switch sides.' That's because we're always on the buyer's side - 100%.
- Our clients appreciate our professional skill in negotiating the most favorable price and terms while keeping your financial and personal interests CONFIDENTIAL.
Call us today at 417.532.3360
or toll free 877.532.3360.
How is an Exclusive Buyer's Broker compensated?
Our fee is already included in the price of any MLS listed property and is paid by the seller at the closing, just like any real estate agent's commission is paid. At times our clients receive a credit from us to use to reduce their closing costs or the purchase price when the compensation offered to a buyer's agent as shown in the listing exceeds our standard fee.
No. We are required by law to work for our buyers' interests at all times. We always attempt to negotiate the lowest price for you. We are in a fiduciary relationship and place the interests and goals of our buyer clients above our own and anyone else in the transaction at all times. Saving our clients time and money is an important part of our legal obligation to them.
I prefer to work with a Realtor. Are your agents Realtors?
Yes. We are members of the Lebanon Board of Realtors, the Missouri Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. As Realtors we have full access to all listings on the Lebanon area Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
Why don't you list homes for sale? What properties can you show us if you don't list homes?
Do not discount the critical importance of this unique benefit to home buyers: Sacrificing the listing side of the real estate business serves as the key distinction in properly identifying a true Exclusive Buyer's Agency from sellers' agents acting as Non-Exclusive buyers' agents. Not listing property for sale is the only way to fully concentrate and focus on your housing needs and goals 100% of the time, never sellers. Additionally, this practice completely eliminates your exposure to the limitations and risks of Dual Agency (see below). Buyer Clients receive our undivided company loyalty, professional due diligence, full disclosure, and advocacy on any home 100% of the time. They make the best purchase decisions in a comfortable environment without sales pressure or conflicts of interest.
Buyer’s Broker of Lebanon has complete access to the MLS and can show you properties listed with any company, just like any Realtor. We can expand the search to include For Sale By Owner properties, which traditional sellers' agents hesitate to do. In addition, we can include For Sale By Builder homes, and property from any other source.
If I choose not to have representation and just go directly to the seller's listing company, won't I save money?
No, you won't. The fee that an Exclusive Buyer's Broker would have received, which you are paying anyway since it's already built into the selling price, will just go directly to the listing company. They will get a double commission, and you will only get "dual agency" or no representation at all.
Do you work a particular area or part of town?
No. Unlike traditional sellers' Realtors, we do not "farm" any particular area or town for listings. We work for buyers all over Laclede and surrounding counties, serving a wide variety of clients and price ranges. We do not "push" any in-house property listings because we do not accept any.
If I'm looking for a certain neighborhood maybe I should go with a local agent who is more "familiar" with that neighborhood.
Not necessarily. Again, sellers' agents are trying to sell you something, so they will extol known and usually obvious property attributes and amenities. By law they cannot tell you what is wrong with any of their listings and neighborhoods, how to negotiate a lower price and better terms, if the asking price is too high, or any other information which reduces the seller's ability to sell at the highest possible price at the best terms.
I heard that what you do is not really any different than what seller's Realtors do. Is that true?
No. If another agent who takes listings, or whose company takes listings, says they can do what we do, they are mistaken. They cannot, by law, offer Exclusive Buyer's Agency. Ask them what happens if you become interested in one of their own listings, or one of their company's listings? Who do they represent then? (Hint: They already have a legal obligation and commitment to the seller by written contract- their exclusive right-to-sell listing agreement).
Well, I'd rather deal with the Seller's agent directly, since they know the seller's motives, and can help me. Bringing someone else in will only complicate things.
Should you decide to do that, keep in mind that the seller's agent has signed a contract- an exclusive listing agreement- with the seller that legally binds them to promote the seller's interests in the marketing and sale of their home. Sellers' agents are in violation of the law and face serious penalties if they do anything to help or benefit you while reducing the seller's ability to sell at the highest price at the best terms. That means keeping the seller's goals and interests confidential. Legally, sellers' agents cannot tell you what that property is really worth, its listing and sales history, previous asking prices, reason for selling, or even if the seller will accept less than the asking price. However, sellers' agents are required to disclose everything they know about YOU to the seller, including your ability to purchase, contemplated higher offers you may have discussed with that agent, maximum loan preapproval amount, your assets, income, level of interest, employment history, etc. Only an Exclusive Buyer's Broker and its agents can guarantee to keep this type of information confidential from the seller and the sellers' agents at all times.
When buying a home, do you want an agent to represent only your interests, the seller's, or both? The choice is yours.
What if I've already seen a property with a seller's agent and now I want to use your company as my Exclusive Buyer's Broker to buy that home?
If you saw the home at an open house you probably are not bound to that agent. However, if you called from a yard sign or an advertisement, you may have to work with that agent to purchase that particular home. This also depends on whether the agent followed proper procedure, as well. Call us for an assessment of your particular situation before you go any further.
Are you in an adversarial relationship with the Seller and the Seller's agent?
No. Most agents in the area understands there is a place for our type of representation. We take what was once a horribly one-sided relationship favoring home sellers only and makes it fair and balanced for home buyers. Since we only represent home buyers who are ready, willing, and able to purchase, sellers' agents appreciate that.
Can you help me with finding a reputable lender?
Certainly. Since we only work for buyers, we have established good working relationships with the best lenders on a regular basis. We can also refer you to the most competent inspectors, attorneys, engineers, architects, contractors, and other providers. Of course, our buyers are free to choose whomever they like.
Since you're working for my benefit, and you're going to tell me everything I need to know about a house, I don't really need a home inspection, do I?
We hesitate to represent any buyer who isn't willing to have a home inspection. In likely the most costly long-term financial commitment of your lifetime, a thorough examination of the property by a competent licensed professional inspector is very strongly recommended for a variety of reasons.
What if I don't want to buy the home after the home inspection?
You are under no legal obligation to buy the home- just back out of the deal. The only expense to you was the cost of the home inspection.
What if I am in contract but I do not get a mortgage?
Most contracts have a Mortgage Contingency Clause. As long as you have not waived that contingency, you can back out of the purchase if you do not receive a mortgage commitment and have acted in good faith. Your deposit (earnest money) should be returned to you. Consult your attorney for more information.
What if I have a home to sell first? Can you still help me?
Yes. People seem to think that we cannot help someone who has a house to sell first. While we do not list homes for sale, we can recommend experienced, professional, and ethical agents to you to help you sell your current home. This way, you can have a professional seller's agency helping you sell, and you'll have us to help you purchase. You will also avoid getting into Dual Agency, which has serious drawbacks (see below for more on Dual Agency). If you choose to sell as a For Sale By Owner, we can provide you with comparable sales data in your neighborhood and point you in the right direction. We cannot, however, provide "client-level" services to you as a seller.
Isn't that more complicated than having just one agent for everything?
It might sound that way, but it's not. What if your one agent/company selling your home was also "representing" the buyer for your home? And what if that agent/company was also representing the seller of the home that you wanted to buy? Then who's working for whom? Now that's complicated! Think of it this way: people are relocated from out of town all the time. They have one agent from a local company selling their current home, and another agent from a different company helping them buy their new home. This happens every day.
Aren't many sellers' Realtors claiming to be "buyers' agents" these days?
A traditional seller's agent may offer to be a [Non-Exclusive] buyer's agent but by law cannot be an Exclusive Buyer's Agent because they work for companies which list homes for sale. What's the difference? If you are interested in buying any of their company listings, they may become a 'dual agent' with the written acknowledgement and consent of both buyer and seller. If you agree to dual agency you are then "on your own" to negotiate price and terms, and its up to you to discover what is wrong with that property. The listing company may even request that you forfeit your client-level status in writing and become an Unrepresented Customer to buy that in-house listing, while the seller remains a fully represented client. You will probably find this unacceptable.
Dual agency has been strongly discouraged for many years by Realtors, attorneys and industry experts as a legal and ethical gray area due to its inherent conflict of interest. This practice is similar to an attorney or law firm representing both the plaintiff and defendant at the same time in the same lawsuit, considered an illegal practice.
Important Note: A [Non-Exclusive] buyer's agent may request that you sign an exclusive right to represent buyer's agency agreement. This is a contract which locks you into working with only that agent and company in the purchase of any home, including their own company listings, inviting dual agency. The use of an exclusive right to represent buyer's agency agreement does not transform a [Non-Exclusive] buyer's agent into an Exclusive Buyer's Agent, and it is unethical and fraudulent to claim to be so. They are still considered to be a [Non-Exclusive] buyer's agent with the right to represent you in the purchase of any home. If you choose to buy a home listed through that agent's company, they may become a dual agent, or you may become an unrepresented customer if their seller does not agree to dual agency. We don’t think this works for the buyers OR the sellers.
Dual agency serves the financial interests of the listing company by enabling it to collect both sides of the commission -double the money- and allows control of both sides of the transaction. Dual agency is actually non-agency because it breaches an agent's duty of undivided loyalty and fiduciary obligations to their client for self-serving financial gain and transaction control. Dual agency does not protect the interests of home buyers.
We all know that one agent can't represent two masters. At Buyer's Broker we don't ever attempt to do so. We guarantee in writing that we will never become dual agents or compromise or reduce our undivided loyalty and level of representation and commitment to you. Your agent's obligations to you and your relationship to that agent should be clearly disclosed in writing for your own protection.
What is dual agency with designated sales agents?
The principal broker may designate two sales agents from within the same company-one sales agent to represent the buyer, and the other to represent the seller on an in-house company listing. The principal broker and the designated sales agents are dual agents and cannot provide undivided loyalty. Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed as both sales agents are working within the same firm and sharing the same files and computer is very possible. They may have every desire to treat you fairly, but it may or may not be able to do so. The principal broker cannot provide assistance to either designated sales agent or to their respective 'client' as he/she is the dual agent without loyalty to either buyer or seller.
Dual agency and dual agency with designated sales agents do not protect or serve the interests of the buyer or the seller.
Consider this- If another home is subsequently listed with a different company which may be better suited for you, after you have decided to buy an in-house listing, will "your" designated sales/dual agent tell you about that property? That sales agent is no longer loyal to you or your interests. The agent's loyalty is now with their company in bringing that in-house transaction to a closing.
Yes. We provide 100% buyer representation, 100% of the time. We have legal obligations to represent your interests at all times, on any home. This means finding you the best home and negotiating for the lowest possible price at the most favorable terms. Seller's agents acting as non-exclusive buyer's agents can't promise that, and they cannot deliver that.
Representation means helping you save time and money while providing peace of mind and satisfaction.