HARMONIOUS HOMEBUYING

Get the most from your buyer's agent

Four out of five homebuyers used a real estate agent to help them make their purchase in 2001. But the role of a buyer's agent is not always perfectly clear to the buyer. One of the reasons for this is that listing agents almost always require clients to sign a contract. Buyer's agents may or may not require a contract, depending on the brokerage and the customs in the market.

Since buyer/agent relationships are sometimes a handshake deal, here are some guidelines to clarify what that handshake means, and ensure that you get the best deal from it.

Dos and Don'ts of Using a Buyer's Agent

Don't find your buyer's agent by calling the agent on the sign.

When you see a "For Sale" sign in front of a house, the name of the agent on the sign rider is the listing agent - the agent who has signed a contract with the home's owner to market and sell the house for the best possible price. In some places, it is legal for an agent to represent both the seller and the buyer in real estate deal as long as the fact is disclosed to both parties. This practice is called dual agency. Dual agency is lucrative for real estate agents, since a single agent working both sides of a transaction generally collects more commission after closing. But if you're a buyer who's serious about having a real estate professional represent your interests only, you should steer clear of dual agency, unless the agent is someone you have a long standing, previously proven relationship with.

Do learn about homes on your own.

Let's go back to that house you want more information on. If there isn't an information pamphlet attached to the sign, jot down the address of the home and the name of the real estate office marketing it, log onto the Internet and start your search. By going online you can learn a lot about available properties without contacting any salespeople. The idea is to educate yourself about the real estate market you're interested in. By doing this you'll be better equipped to pick the right buyer's agent when the time comes.

Do choose your agent.

Talk to close friends about agents they've worked with that they'd recommend. When you've got some names, give the agents a call and tell them you're shopping for a buyer's agent. Make sure they're a member of their local Multiple Listing Service if there's one in the area. You want someone with access to everything that's on the market. Ask them if they're a licensed Real Estate Agent. Ask them how many years they've been selling real estate. Most importantly, ask for customer references you can call. A lot of experts advise that you look for agents who move a lot of property, but this can be a double-edged sword. Top producing agents can be skilled pros who put their clients first, or they can be folks who relentlessly slam deals together, no matter what the cost to their clients.

Don't expect your agent to be your personal real-estate slave.

Of course you should expect your agent to devote time to you, take you to homes and send you information about homes. Legalese says agents should make "a good faith and continuous effort" to find buyers a home. But keep expectations reasonable. One agent tells a story of a client who wanted a little extra legwork and asked, "I know these houses aren't for sale, but we really like them. Would you mind going door to door and asking the owners if they'd be interested in selling?" This type of request is generally a bit much.

Don't waste an agent's time.

This is a karma issue. A real estate agent, especially one working with a prospective buyer, gets paid absolutely nothing until that buyer closes a sale on a house the agent helped the buyer find. If you're not ready to buy and you're just using your buyer's agent as a human house key to check out other people's décor, you'll be reincarnated as a filthy shag carpet in a fixer-upper.

A final don't: Don't reject the twenty houses your buyer's agent has shown you over four consecutive weekends, then change your mind and go back and purchase one of those houses through another agent. Absolutely do not do this. Unless you want live your next life as the rotten padding beneath the filthy shag carpet in a fixer-upper.

Anne Erickson is a writer, homeowner and television producer in Port Angeles, Wash., who is trying to spend more quality time with her home.

USING A BUYER'S AGENT