| Are you a buyer-customer or a buyer-client? Services will vary, depending on your agency status* |
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| If you are a CUSTOMER (no agency relationship), an agent will: | If you are a CLIENT (agency relationship), your agent will: |
| Maintain loyalty to the seller’s need | Pay full attention to your needs |
| Tell the seller all that they know about you | Tell you all that they know about the seller |
| Keep information about the seller confidential | Keep information about you confidential |
| Focus on the seller-client’s property | Focus on choices that satisfy your needs |
| Provide just the material facts | Provide material facts as well as professional advice |
| Only provide price information that supports the seller’s listing price | Provide price counseling based on comparable properties and their professional insights |
| Protect the seller | Protect and guide you |
| Negotiate on behalf of the seller | Negotiate on your behalf |
| Attempt to solve problems to the seller’s advantage and satisfaction | Attempt to solve problems to your advantage and satisfaction |
There are agents, and then there are agents. Yes, it sounds confusing. That’s because the term “agent” is often used in a casual manner, referring to any real estate practitioner.
But agent also refers to someone with whom you’ve established a formal agency relationship—someone who represents your best interests in a real estate transaction and owes you fiduciary responsibilities. Agency relationships are usually established in writing with buyer agency agreements, and require:
- loyalty
- obedience
- disclosure
- confidentiality
- reasonable care and diligence
- accounting