Most buyers meet their agent at an open house, like them, and never think about who that agent works for. It is a reasonable assumption that the friendly person showing you homes is on your side. Often they are not — not because they are dishonest, but because of how the agreements are written.

The conflict is structural, not personal

When an office takes a listing, it signs an agreement obligating it to get the seller the highest price and best terms available. That obligation does not switch off when a buyer walks through the door. If the same office — sometimes the same agent — then represents you, it owes a duty to both sides of a negotiation where one side’s gain is the other’s loss.

Think about what that means in practice. You mention you could stretch to $480,000 but hope to get the house for $455,000. Who else now knows that? In a traditional arrangement, the answer may be the person legally obligated to get the seller the most money possible.

We have worked only for buyers since 1997. We do not take listings. There is no seller in our office whose interests compete with yours, which means nothing you tell us can be used against you later.

What it changes day to day

Honest talk about a property’s problems. An agent with no stake in a particular house can say plainly that the foundation looks wrong, the roof is near the end of its life, or the price is ambitious for the block. There is no awkwardness, because we gain nothing from you buying that house over any other.

Offers built on value, not the asking price. A seller’s price is an opinion. We look at what comparable Spokane homes actually sold for, what condition they were in, and how long they sat. Sometimes that supports the asking price. Sometimes it supports a good deal less.

Willingness to tell you to walk. This is the real test. An agent paid only when you buy something has a quiet incentive to keep you buying. We would rather tell you a house is wrong and see you three months later in a better one.

What it costs you

Real estate fees are built into the transaction and the financing, not billed to you separately. If you choose not to be represented, the listing agent may simply collect both sides of the commission — which is to say, someone gets paid more for making sure you had no one looking out for you.

Commission structures have been changing across the industry, so ask any agent — including us — to explain in writing exactly how they are paid and by whom before you sign anything. That is a fair question and you should get a straight answer.

Questions worth asking any agent

  • Do you or anyone in your office take listings?
  • If I want to see one of your office’s listings, who represents me in that negotiation?
  • How are you paid on this purchase, and by whom?
  • Has a client ever walked away from a deal on your advice?

The answers will tell you a lot. If you are buying in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Colbert, Mead, Cheney or anywhere in the county, we are glad to talk it through with you — no obligation.