Dan Rowe ABR CRS GRI
Dan Rowe Realty
911 Balsam Boise ID 83706
(208) 866-3481
Why Use A Buyers Agent
When Buying Houses in Idaho
Searching for a home. An agent/broker/Realtor is your link to the best database of homes for sale- the local MLS. We keep you from wasting time sorting out the junk while searching the internet for homes. A Realtor can save your MLS search and notify you instantly via e-mail whenever a house is listed that meets your criteria, so you don't miss that perfect fit or super bargain.
Realtors' search technology helps you focus on the property that meets ALL of your requirements- not only your specific price range, needs and location, but also financing requirements and time-line for moving.
For example, if you're using VA, FHA or Idaho Housing, there are many homes for sale that may not meet the minimum property standards for these programs. Maybe you have a deadline to move and a short sale might take months longer- you may want to filter those out. Also, some homes showing active in our MLS already have offers waiting. We can filter those out too.
Are you a customer or a client?
Buyers in Idaho can choose to be a customer or a client of a licensed real estate agent/broker. The seller pays your agent at closing in most cases, but there are major differences in both the level of service and accountability.As a customer, the agent/broker does not represent you. (Also called a non-agent.) Idaho law requires licensees to provide a basic level of service to all customers:
- Perform necessary and customary acts to assist you in the purchase or sale of real estate
- Perform these acts in good faith with honesty and reasonable care
- Properly account for money or other property you place in the licensee's care
- Disclose "adverse material facts" to you which are, or should be, within the licensee's knowledge. These are facts that would significantly affect the desirability or value of the property to a reasonable person. Also, that one of the parties cannot, or will not, complete obligations of the contract.
As a customer, your brokerage will not act as your agent and is not required to promote your best interests or keep you bargaining information confidential. Unless you have a written agreement for representation, you will remain a customer.
As a client, the agent/broker does represent you and, in addition to those owed to customers, owes you the following duties when working for you:
- Seek a property and assist with negotiations and advise you to consult other professionals
- Perform the terms of your agency agreement with skill and care
- Promote you best interests(above even our own) in good faith, honesty and fair dealing
- Maintain the confidentiality of some client information, including bargaining information, even after the representation has ended
Signing a representation agreement does not commit you to buying! Nor does it cost you anything, since agents are paid by the seller in most cases. If not, you should always know before signing an offer.
When to hire an agent... Choosing an agent to represent you should be the first step before looking at any property and maybe before you apply for a loan, if you need a recommendation. Your agent will help you get pre-qualified for financing, help you search for suitable property and set up showings on those of interest. In my opinion, you do not want the listing agent showing the property for the following reasons...
Listing agents work for the seller and cannot fully represent both the seller and buyer's interests. A brokerage may represent both the buyer and seller in the same transaction. This is called Limited Dual Agency- the key word is "limited". A brokerage may also assign one agent for each party, while representing both. It gets very complicated, but in simple terms, you need to know who is working for you.
Who should you call for a showing? It's your choice, but the listing agent must report to the seller anything you say about your qualifying, your opinions of the value, your motivations and anything else that could help the seller in negotiations. A buyer's agent can provide confidentiality and more objective opinions about the property, price and other available properties.
Realtors provide an extra set of benefits.
In Idaho, a licensed agent/broker may not necessarily be a Realtor. Members of the National Association of Realtors are held to even higher standards when working for you, including meeting Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics and subject to review, arbitration and sanctions by the local board.
Realtors also protect you with the best and most comprehensive standardized real estate forms for buying & selling real estate.
Call/text me at 208-866-3481 to talk about your real estate needs.
What do my clients say about me?
"Dan was the perfect fit for us. We recently purchased our first house, and Dan's knowledge & experience were invaluable to us every step of the way.The seller accepted the price of our first offer, paid most of our closing costs, added landscaping & a complete fence, and we closed in less than 3 weeks. It was much less painful that we expected, and Dan made it happen.
Dan's help wasn't just helpful, it was NECESSARY. In addition to the services provided by most Realtors, the services Dan performed for us included his expert local market analysis, a technical (& practical) review of the home inspection, helpful hints and tips for first time homeowners (things we can do to lengthen the life of our new home - things we never would've thought of on our own), and keeping us from going insane as we waited for a response to our offer.
Dan is a great communicator, he understands the process of buying (and selling) a home, and he obviously knows the business of real estate in the Treasure Valley. We definitely will continue to recommend Dan to anyone looking to buy (or sell) a home. We love our new home, and we LOVE the deal we got, thanks to Dan!
THANKS DAN!"
Josh & Jennie (Meridian, Idaho)
911 Balsam
Boise
ID
83706
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