Indianapolis home buyers, should you use a real estate agent or go it alone?
Today, more and more home buyers are using the internet to search for a new home for their family. I am experiencing more and more buyers calling the listing agent for each house they want to see or want more information about rather than developing a working relationship with one agent that they feel comfortable with. I know I receive inquiries about my listings from a buyer, I provide the information and possibly show them the home and I never hear from them again.
Why is this? I can only come to one conclusion; home buyers think that they will get a "better deal" working directly with the listing agent. I believe they think that the 6% or 7% commisssion that the seller is paying an agent to sell their home will automatically be cut in half since the listing agent is working the transaction, or the buyer will "low ball" an offer thinking the same thing. This is not going to happen.
While a listing agent may deviate slightly to get their seller a better deal, the listing contract that the seller signed when they listed the home for sale states that the commission to be paid will be set in stone. This is what they expect to pay and are expected to pay regardless of how many real estate agents are involved in the transaction.
Please, if you are looking for a new home, by all means, use the internet to your advantage. Research neighborhoods, houses for sale, schools, etc. but when you are ready to make a purchase, choose one real estate agent that you feel comfortable with and stick with him or her until you have found the perfect home and the transaction is closed. It will be a much smoother transaction for both you and your agent and may actually save you more than you perceived you could going it alone.