Real Estate Agent’s Services

The purpose of the real estate agent is twofold: to attract the right kind of customers to the kind of property they are looking for and to help the seller sell their home on the market. In a perfect world an agent is a neutral broker with the contacts and connections to bring the right buyer and seller together in order to make a transaction happen that satisfies everyone’s needs and budget. This sounds good on paper but it isn’t always as smooth as that.

Very often an agent will have an exclusive listing on a property that only they can show and represent in place of the actual seller. They do this for a fee of course. In some places the commission comes strictly from the seller, or sometimes from the buyer, or sometimes from both sides. The actual commission can range from 1-6%. 4% is quite common to be paid by the seller. Of course special agreements can be made and negotiated such as different commissions based on the selling price the agent is able to secure.

Often people try to work privately without an agent. The advantage is that with no commission to be paid the seller may be able to offer the property for a slightly more attractive price and the buyer may be able to offer a bit more. But both sides will have to work harder since they will have to advertise, look for and show the property in their own private time. For many people that already work a full time job this just isn’t possible and they prefer to leave the work to a professional agent.

An agent will come to represent a property wither by finding out about it and approaching the seller directly usually enticing them with the promises of bringing them a higher than market value price for their home or by being contacted directly by the seller. This happens through word of mouth or, if the agent works for a big company, through advertising and creating public awareness.