Your purchase offer looks good to the sellers. They are ready to accept it, but you are using a buyer's agent (also called buyer's broker). You know that sellers pay their agent, but what about yours?
- Who represents whom?
A buyer's agent is retained by a buyer to look out for the buyer's interests and to negotiate the best price from the buyer’s point of view. Just as the agent who lists the seller’s house owes the seller complete loyalty, the buyer's agent owes the buyer the same degree of loyalty. - What do sellers do?
Sellers generally indicate on the listing agreement whether the seller is willing to pay the buyer's agent. Most sellers choose to work with a broker who splits the commission with a buyer's agent even though that agent does not represent the seller's interests. This, of course, maximizes the number of potential buyers for the home. Because the listing broker is already prepared to share the commission with a seller’s agent who produces a buyer, most sellers don't mind when their broker, instead, shares the commission with a buyer's agent.
Read more information about shopping for a real estate agent at Southern California Home Online's Buyer Tips.
