Contact Tony Fantis 801.541.8806

How to pay a Realtor nothing to be your Buyer's Agent

It is quite common for buyers to enlist the help of a full time, professional Realtor in Utah...and not pay a dime! In fact, more than 80% of all buyers enlist the professional services of a Realtor when successfully purchasing their biggest, and likely most important, investment.

How does this work? First, home sellers agree to pay a commission to a real estate company. Let's assume the TOTAL real estate commission to the company is $12,000. That $12,000 will be paid to the real estate company upon sale of the home, regardless of whether any buyer is represented by his or her own Realtor.

Next, the real estate company places the home on the Multiple Listing Service. Every house listed on the MLS must offer to pay a buyer's real estate company a commission. This is the strength of the system...with over 10,000 Realtors in Utah, you can imagine that it is MUCH easier to sell a home when there are 10,000 Realtors trying to sell it...rather than just one. Real estate companies willingly offer to pay buyers' agents every day.

So when you have your own Realtor working for you, the money is actually already contractually paid for, before you ever find the house. Even most new construction builders offer to pay your buyer's agent.

Working without an agent does not save you money. It can jeopardize your ability to get the best price on the home. You can miss out on important information that would have helped you make a better decision about the purchase, financing, negotiations, contingencies, or critical deadlines that could cause you to lose your earnest money.

Agents that represent the sellers are NOT allowed to tell you situational circumstances that could save you money. Some examples they are not allowed to share with you are situations such as impending foreclosure, divorce, terrible neighbors, and more. A buyer's agent is OBLIGATED to inform you of certain situations which can help you negotiate a better price. We've all heard the age-old question, "Why are you selling?" The truth is, the seller's agent often cannot tell you!

So, find a Realtor you really like ASAP. Other than showing you homes, an experienced Realtor can help you avoid excessive loan costs, paying too much for a home, and managing the entire transaction while working with the loan officer, lender, processor, appraiser, inspector, title/escrow company, the seller's agent, and more.

(For more info on what an exceptional Realtor can do for you, view my report, "7 Reasons to Have a Buyer's Agent."

Tony Fantis is a full-time professional Realtor, and is in the top 5% of all Utah Realtors. He works out of Salt Lake City with RE/MAX Associates, Utah's #1 office in sales per agent. Tony Fantis may be reached by dialing 1-800-827-7362 or 801-541-8806.