Seller brokers, buyer’s agents, dual agents, exclusive seller agents, discount agents – real estate agents come in many different forms. The articles, columns, radio shows, blog posts and videos here help you navigate the new and complex world of hiring a real estate agent.
Real Estate Insights on Commission Splits and EBAs
Real estate insights on commission splits and exclusive buyer agents. Real estate market insiders give their take on trending topics. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had several responses to columns that have run, especially the one that explained in greater detail how real estate agent and broker commissions work. Real Estate Insights on Residential [...]
How Is Real Estate Commission Split?
How is real estate commission split? How real estate agents split commissions with brokerages and use it to cover expenses like Realtor association dues. Q: I’m a real fan of your column, but this article on how much commission real agents make is extremely misleading. From the way I read the column, it looks like [...]
Are Exclusive Buyer Agents Better Than Traditional Real Estate Brokers?
Are exclusive buyer agents better than traditional real estate brokers? Weighing the pros and cons of each and how to decide which to use when homebuying. Q: My wife and I have been reading Ilyce’s book, 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask, and one of the big things we took from the book [...]
Buyer Representation Agreements: How Do They Work?
Buyer representation agreements: how do they work? This reader points out that some states have real estate laws that regulate buyer agency agreements. Q: I saw your recent article on exclusive buyer agents and buyer agency agreements that discussed an agent that required the homebuyer to sign an agreement for the showing. I feel your [...]
Is My Real Estate Agent Doing a Good Job?
Is my real estate agent doing a good job? This reader feels like their agent didn't fully explain the process of selling their home and all their options. Q: I sold my dad’s house late last year and feel like I was taken advantage of by my agent and my real estate attorney, who was [...]
What Is an Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement?
What is an exclusive buyer agency agreement? This homebuyer was asked to sign an agency agreement and wants to know the pros and cons of agency exclusivity. Q: We are looking for homes to buy and one of the real estate agents we interviewed wants us to sign an agency agreement form that will commit [...]
What Does a Listing Agent Do?
What does a listing agent do? This reader wants to know how listing agents generate interest in a property and if it benefits the home buyer or home seller. Q: In the Washington, D.C. real estate market, it’s common for real estate agents to price a listing low in order to generate the maximum number [...]
Can You Keep the Security Deposit After a Tenant Breaks the Lease?
Can you keep the security deposit after a tenant breaks the lease? When a tenant breaks the lease on your rental property, you could be entitled to keep the security deposit based on your state’s laws. Q: Can I keep the security deposit my tenant gave me after he broke the lease? Here's what happened: [...]
Aggressive Real Estate Agent Pushes Home Purchase
What recourse does a prospective home buyer have when dealing with an aggressive real estate agent who is pressuring him to close on a house he no longer wants? The home buyer should contact a real estate attorney to find out if he's on the hook legally because there is no contract for a home purchase unless the offer was made in writing and it has been accepted in writing. Also, the home buyer should ditch the real estate agent and think long and hard before making the single biggest purchase of his life.