Introduction

In our previous article, we explored in depth the steps we take to ensuring that we secure the property that suits your needs. We explained how we can save you time through our experience and that we are at your disposal to solve any queries and advise you on how to avoid potential pitfalls.

But that is not all we do. In order to build a relationship of trust with you we feel it is necessary to enlighten you on our intentions and goals which run parallel to yours. It is understandable that when you hear the term buyer’s real estate agent for the first time you may want to exercise a degree of caution. There is no need. This is not because we’re trying to sweet-talk you and we would, at this point, like to explain and illustrate the following to you. We would like to show you exactly how much we have in common.

Α. The motives of Real Estate agents

Firstly, it’s important that you understand how conventional real estate agents work so that you can appreciate their personal interests and motivations. Who they represent, and what they hope to gain from securing a property purchase and how their incentives focus on striving to maximize these interests.

#1. Real Estate Agents have limited portfolios

If you’re looking to buy a property, your first port of call is usually an online property platform or search engine which invariably leads to a real estate agent representing a select number of properties. The agent’s goal is to promote the properties that are in his/her portfolio. Should they not be able to satisfy your needs, they will have to reach out to other agents or landlords. Before they can provide you with the results of their searches, they have to succeed in reaching a financial agreement with the third party agent to secure their commission. In many cases, such agreements don’t work out or aren’t feasible. Consequently, these agents cannot always present you with satisfactory alternatives.

Basically, the properties that a real estate agent presents you with consist of a limited selection based on the clientele he represents.

What we’re trying to do, here, is explain the intricate workings of a real estate agent. First and foremost, their goal is to primarily serve the interests of the vendors and secondly those of the buyers. It goes without saying that serving the needs of your clients is the guiding principle of every business. With regards to real estate agents, their clientele is principally the vendors. Of course, it is to their advantage to be able to close a deal with satisfactory terms for both the vendor and buyer. Nevertheless, their priorities tend to focus on satisfying the aforementioned clientele the agents represent and the scales will mostly be tipped in their favour.

#2. It is in the interests of the Real Estate Agent to secure the highest possible sale

Previously we stated that the Estate Agent and vendor’s interests are mutually beneficial, however, this does not just apply to the limited portfolio each agent has based on the clients he is representing. There is also a mutually beneficial financial relationship between the two. In other words, the agent’s fee, usually set at 2% of the sale, means that the higher the sale of the property, the higher the profit the agent makes. Therefore, the agent is able to “kill two birds with one stone”. Both the agent and vendor will reap greater financial rewards the higher the sum of the sale.

It would be fair to say that the mutual financial interests of the agent and vendor are always the main focus when it comes to negotiating a sale.

Obviously, we don’t mean that the agent will attempt to double the price of your budget on a property that you’re interested in. Neither will they unreasonably raise the price as this could blow the deal which would not be in anyone’s interest. But for argument’s sake, if your budget for buying a property is € 300.000, and the agent finds one such property to your liking, he will not attempt to secure a better deal for you with better terms as it’s not in his interest to receive a lower fee and consequently jeopardise the interests of the vendor who will be dissatisfied with the outcome and whom the agent is primarily accountable to.

Β. The motives of a Buyer's Property Consultansy Agency

While we’ve explained the dynamics and reasoning between the traditional real estate agent and vendor and how they have a mutually beneficial relationship when closing a deal, it’s now time to present the way we approach the same transactions in our field of work. You will now be able to discern how our work is mutually beneficial for you, the buyer, whose interests we serve.

#1. There is no specific portfolio to promote

Since a buyer’s real estate agent or consultant is only interested in buying or seeking rentals, this means that we do not have a restricted portfolio to promote. Obviously, due to our experience in the field we can determine the feasibility of your request which is based on a consultancy session with you. If it corresponds to market reality, then our work begins. Based on this, we conduct extensive market research, scrutinizing each and every option, unencumbered from outside interests that might influence us.

Since our role in a sale or lease is to represent the buyer or tenant, it goes without saying that we will look solely at supporting their interests. Our clients are the buyers and tenants. And our objectives are to serve your needs. We aren’t concerned about whether you prefer a property that belongs to a specific vendor and we’re not influenced by which landlord you prefer as we are not accountable to them. Our priorities lie with our clients, the buyers, and making sure that we can satisfy your needs. Therefore, our judgment will always be impartial and will aim exclusively at supporting your interests, goals and objectives and of course your pocket. We represent you throughout the process until the signing of the contract.

Our clients are the buyers and tenants and we are solely accountable to you.

#2. The more profitable the deal, the better the publicity will be for us

And now let’s examine the crucial question. It is perfectly reasonable to wonder if, as is the case with real estate agencies, we are also to profit financially by a more expensive purchase and sale. Since we are paid a percentage in most cases, one might believe that the answer to the above question is “yes”. This is far from the truth. The answer is “no”. And we can explain this and why we share common interests with you.

Although on the surface, one might believe that the most expensive possible purchase and sale serves our interests, this is not the case.

If, for example, from your budget of € 300,000 you intend to spend on a property, we manage to drop the price to €250,000 (Golden Visa Tier), through negotiation, this means that you are saving € 40,000. But what does this mean for us? Based on a rough calculation, considering that the fee of the purchasing consultant is usually equal to 2% of the agreement, our loss is the equivalent of roughly € 800. But what do we gain from this? In short, a completely satisfied customer, who has managed to secure an even better deal than he had originally expected thanks to our services. And for us, this is the best publicity and advertising we could hope to have, as, ultimately it will help us attract even more clients. This is the long-sighted approach that we adopt in our dealings with all our clients.

For a buyer’s real estate agent, securing deals on real estate based on terms of better value is the most positive form of advertising and publicity he/she could hope for.

Based on the financial data in the example above, if we manage to acquire 2 new clients out of 10 satisfied customers who will recommend our services, then, not only will we have mitigated any losses but we will also profit from this policy of standing up for our clients’ interests. Therefore, it is clear: Profit for you, means profit for us, through advertising, positive feedback which is all good publicity for us. It is in our interest for you to be as satisfied as possible as we negotiate the best possible deal for you. Hence, we share the same goals. Our commitment is to facilitate the buying and selling process to run as smoothly as possible on the terms that you give us so that we both profit from this working relationship that is tailored to suit your needs. This, in short, guarantees the mutually beneficial interests at stake in our partnership.

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Conclusion

Buying or renting a property is of the utmost importance and in many cases it will constitute a landmark in the life of an individual or a business. The defining factor, in our opinion, is that you understand the procedures we follow and the shared goals we both have. This will allow you to appreciate the extent to which we share common interests with you and that our duty is to ensure your personal interests are supported at all times thus securing your trust with our work which is dedicated to the pursuit of these goals.

A professional Buyer’s Real Estate Agent can assist you by dealing with this particular part of the process on your behalf allowing you to dedicate your precious time to your own business schedule. If you are interested in further details, do not hesitate to contact us or you can book a complimentary free consultancy session at your convenience.