Personally, I don't know why anyone would want to buy a house without the help of a real estate agent... but it does happen.  When I bought my first house, at the age of 21, I engaged the help of an agent.  In all the transactions that have followed, I never considered buying or selling without an agent by my side. 


Since some people do try navigating the transaction by themselves, I want to share an interesting article from the SoundBiteBlog.  It gives some pointers on how to protect yourself should you get involved in a transaction by yourself.


For the benefit of buyers, in almost all cases, the sellers pay the real estate agent's service fee so it doesn't cost the buyer extra.  Even though the seller is paying the agents fee, this does not mean the agent working with the buyer represents the seller.   When a seller hires an agent to market their home, they negotiate a fee to THAT agency.  THAT agency, in return, offers compensation to an agent who brings a buyer for the home.  So, the seller isn't actually paying the buyer's agent.  The seller's agent is offering part of their fee to the buyer's agent for bringing a qualified buyer. 


Anyway, check out the article.  It's an easy read and quite informative.


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      Knowledge, Experience & Integrity Are Priceless