How Much Do You Pay A Real Estate Agent When Buying?

How Much Do You Pay A Real Estate Agent When Buying?
05-29-08

Buying a home is much different than selling one. When you are a seller, hiring a real estate agent means that they will be getting a cut of your profits when everything is said and done. But if you are a buyer, this situation is not nearly the same. In most cases, buyers who hire real estate agents never pay them a dime. Instead, the agent will set up a deal with the seller's agent in which they split the commission; this is more or less a fee for bringing the buyer to the seller.

The fact that you do not have to pay a real estate agent when buying a home is one that should excite you. After all, how often do you have the chance to work with a professional that is not going to charge you any money? You can ask as many questions as you would like and set up tons of appointments without having to surrender a dime of your own money. Of course, you want to make sure that you are courteous when working with an agent in this situation. Remember, they are providing a valuable service and you should treat them with respect.

In some cases you may run into a real estate agent that wants to charge you for their time. In other words, they will be more than happy to show you plenty of homes but they want to get paid for it. This is far from common, but this situation does appear from time to time. The question that you need to answer is why you would pay to work with one real estate agent when another would assist you for free? Does it make sense to pay for something that another agent would gladly do without charging? For most people the answer is no.

All in all, 99 percent of buyers who work with a real estate agent never pay them. The agent is more than happy to work within these guidelines because they know that they will get paid by the seller's agent. With all of this in mind, does it really make sense to buy without the help of a real estate agent?

Mark E. Moebius
Miljonair Homes
Custom home builder St. Louis
3451 St. Albans Rd.
St. Albans, MO 63073
636.300.9000