Working With A Real Estate Agent(s)

Working With A Real Estate Agent(s) To Find Your Home
Buying a home can be a daunting process especially if it is your first time, there seem to be so many unknowns. Buyers wonder who can they trust.  And they often start the process without knowing about real estate relationships. It's important to enlist the help of a professional whom you feel confident with but also know your options.

During the course of looking for homes, it is very likely you will meet dozens of real estate agents. Many times buyers call individual ads and the agent's that list them, to have them show them the home, and in one weekend they can meet 8 or even 10 different agents..

While you can find a home using this approach, it is not the best.

A real estate agent has many tools and experience that buyers simply do not. And by working with one real estate agent, you can develop a relationship that will educate you, and also put you at an advantage by locating the best homes that meet your specific criteria, and being one of the first to know about a home before others. They work by searching the Multiple Listing Service, and they also preview multiple homes on a weekly basis. They have experience about specific building issues, location issues, property management company experiences, along with insider information that they will share with their loyal buyers in an effort to find you the best home and keep you as a client for life.

Am I Bound To One Agent?
The short answer to this question is yes and no.
In NJ, unless you sign a "buyer's agency contract" with an agent that you meet with on first consult, you are free to work with any agent you see fit. However, if you visit properties with an agent and discuss pricing and possible motivating factors that lead to an offer, then there is such a thing as procuring cause..

For example, if you have been working with a real estate agent for a few weeks and you happen to walk into an open house that you love, and discuss an offer or you request an appointment with that agent, then the agent that met you at the open house and took you back to the home, is entitled to a commission under this clause.

To protect your agent, if you care to, you should never see any homes without your agent accompanying you.

Can I Visit Open Houses On My Own?
Yes. Agents hosting open houses are required to let you in. However not all agents will honor the relationship you have with your real estate agent which could leave you working directly with the listing agent, who represents the seller.

To be safe, before entering an open house, you should announce that you are working with someone, and either A. hand him or her your agent's card, or B. sign in with your real estate agent's name. If the agent hosting the open house gives you a hard time, you may want to leave and contact your agent to schedule an appt with you ASAP.

What If My Agent Is Unavailable Or On Vacation?
Most agent's leave a colleague they trust in charge to take over for them so you can contact them. If your real estate agent say, is off that day, and you absolutely have to see the home like yesterday, then I recommend you calling the agent's office directly, explain the situation, and they will very likely have another agent help you, or even possibly the broker can take you in.


Read Before You Sign
Before you sign anything that an agent presents you, always make sure that you read it at length, and ask questions about what it is you are signing and why. Some agencies will tell you that a form is "required" or "standard" and that unfortunately is not true. You are not obligated to sign a contract that binds you to an agent, you can if you choose to, absolutely, but don't let anyone tell you, especially someone you don't know, that in order to see homes you must sign a contract.