Are most real estate agents both buyer's and seller's agents? (sale, brokers) - Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania (PA) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

safak · 05-10-2018, 06:06 AM

Agents will take whatever business they can get, so yes most are both. (i use the term most liberally I guess, since 'most' if you go by percentages don't do enough business to be called either).

Find one that is responsive, and not the one who is listing the house, and gets you what information you need in a timely manner and you are fine.
The listing agent, believe it or not they knew the seller first, often their friend/family member. They are duty bound to work in their best interest. Would you ask the other teams coach to call your teams plays?

Also I personally would ask the agent "Do you get paid more if you sell me a house listed by your broker" and if the answer is yes, I'd move to another broker.
It blows my mind every time I see an agent take money out of their clients pocket to put in their own pocket, and sell it as a 'perk' for the client.
This is even more unethical if you are selling..but even on the buying side I would want no part of that business model.

WPAKyle · 05-10-2018, 07:10 AM

Most agents are available to represent the buyer or the seller.

Generally speaking, as an agent's business grows, they may prefer to work with sellers more than buyers (more of a "sure thing"... a lot less running around town) but most are still happy to represent someone on either side of a deal.

Most will also want you to sign some sort of agreement with them before they do too much work with/for you (it's a protection for them), but I'd be careful to make sure that there is some sort of an "out" for you built into the agreement in case you feel as though things are not working out between you and the agent (for whatever reason).

The profession, in general, has had a less than stellar reputation over the years. Sometimes it has been very well deserved but I've also met a number of kind, hard working, and ethical agents.

selltheburgh · 05-10-2018, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safak

Also I personally would ask the agent "Do you get paid more if you sell me a house listed by your broker" and if the answer is yes, I'd move to another broker.
It blows my mind every time I see an agent take money out of their clients pocket to put in their own pocket, and sell it as a 'perk' for the client.
This is even more unethical if you are selling..but even on the buying side I would want no part of that business model.

As far as I know, only one brokerage does this.

safak · 05-10-2018, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selltheburgh

As far as I know, only one brokerage does this.

Not to name names I guess, but the brokerage formerly known as Prudential also does. Have run into a few issues with them because of it too.

gg · 05-10-2018, 04:24 PM

Well I hope the OP got their home, or maybe they are still looking since 2012.

okaydorothy · 05-10-2018, 05:19 PM

last year we had our house on the market with a well known realtor. She showed the house twice in 3 months. So we decided to take it off the market and try again this year.
This year, we eat with a different realtor on the other side of the city. Omg her work ethic was fantastic. She had so many people come and see the house. Probably in the first 2 weeks, we had 10 showings. We had two offers, one fell thru and we are thrilled with the next offer.

It all depends on the realtor.

selltheburgh · 05-10-2018, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safak

Not to name names I guess, but the brokerage formerly known as Prudential also does. Have run into a few issues with them because of it too.

I didn't know that. The family owned company gives a pretty big bonus to agents for selling internally. Pretty unethical.

Knepper3 · 05-10-2018, 09:36 PM

Look it is like any business, you will have people that skirt the lines of ethics or break them completely but overall most agents are good and ethical. I am an agent and my wife is a Realtor, difference is still all in the person not the title. For me, I just didnt need to join and pay the fee since I work PT with my wife (I have a FT job that I work from home).

Most agents do not work with both the buyer and seller though dual agency does happen often enough. To me it is not an issue IF you can trust that agent, they have a LEGAL obligation to be indifferent and not disclose anything not wanted be either party if they are truly representing both sides. As someone said most agents are happy for any business but they know their long term success relies on more clients down the road, most are not going to risk their rep and possible recommendation (and possibly their license) from their current client to make a few thousand extra on the current deal.

As for going directly to the listing agent, you can and yes then the listing agent gets double commission. If you know you can trust them I wouldnt have an issue but I never understand why someone would want to, get a buyers agent who actually only works for you since the seller is most likely paying the commission to your buyers agent anyway not you the buyer.

Knepper3 · 05-10-2018, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

last year we had our house on the market with a well known realtor. She showed the house twice in 3 months. So we decided to take it off the market and try again this year.
This year, we eat with a different realtor on the other side of the city. Omg her work ethic was fantastic. She had so many people come and see the house. Probably in the first 2 weeks, we had 10 showings. We had two offers, one fell thru and we are thrilled with the next offer.

It all depends on the realtor.

I couldnt agree more, this is one of those rare things that you dont get what you pay for Kinda. 6% is standard but in no way means you are getting someone who is really going to work for you. Of course if you go with less that 6% you are more likely to get less from the agent the further you go and that I kinda understand. Everything we do comes out of our commission so less commission less we can do (to a degree). People often ask what brokerage we are with and of course we answer and explain but really it doesnt matter. Every brokerage will have good and really bad agents, If you like the agent go for it. There is very little one brokerage vs another is going to give you other than some do have ALOT of fees so it is important to compare that not just the 6%.

gg · 05-10-2018, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safak

Not to name names I guess, but the brokerage formerly known as Prudential also does. Have run into a few issues with them because of it too.

If that is true this is new. Only one company splits 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 if in house so the agent gets 1/3 instead of 1/2 of 1/2. In other words 100,000 X 6%= $6,000 total commission. In house an agent in all but one agency would get 1/3, or $2,000 for the agent. If it is in house with all other agencies it would be 1/2 of 1/2, so $1,500 to the agent. Now if the agent is a bigger seller they might be on a much larger split than only the 50%, they might be up to 90% if they sell a ton of real estate, but they have to get back up to that percentage from about 75% split. That split is in house or a co-broke. There are all kinds of deals in brokerage firms. Some will pay 100% if the agent is paying monthly dues.

Anyway, as far as I know the only one that pays a lot more is one agency in our region. There might be some little bonus in other agencies, but it wouldn't be enough to matter.