Buyer’s Reps MakeYour Agenda Theirs (NAPSA)—Homeownership and sales, according to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Association of Realtors, are at all-time highs. However, buyers and sellers have different needs when it comes to a real estate transaction. That’s why many experts believe those looking to purchase a home—whetherfor the first time, to move up, for investment or as a second home—should ensure that the agent they’re working with understands these differences. Sellers want to sell their property at the highest possible price in the shortest time to the most qualified buyer, and they want a listing agent who will look after their interests in accomplishing this goal. Buyers, however, want the most home for what they can afford, and need an agent whowill look after their interests to get the best possible terms for the home that best meets their needs. While both roles agents play are vital to a real estate transaction, they do create two different agendas. Put most simply, the businessof listing agentsis to sell their clients’ houses; the business of buyer’s representatives is to find homesfor their clients. How, then, do buyers know which agenda their agent is following? By making sure they’re working with a buyer’s representative. Begun as a grassroots consumer advocacy movement, buyer representation has been incorporated into the real estate regulations of most states and is now a widely accepted way of doing business. Since state regulations vary, buyers should become familiar Buyer representation by an agent has been incorporated into the real estate regulations of most states. with the laws in the state where they’re looking to buy a home. These regulations address situations when buyersarealso selling a property they own and are using the same agent for both transactions. The Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), founded in 1988, was a pioneer in this movement and remains vital player. The organization advocates quality buyer representation services through its education programs for real estate agents, culminating in the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation. To earn this professional designation, members must meet re- quirements in both coursework and experience. Buyer’s representatives with ABR after their name know what’s on a buyer’s agenda and they make that agenda their own. To find an ABR-designated agent—and receive a free Homebuyers Kit—visit the Web site at www.REBAC.net or call 800-6486224.
