Summary: • Refer you to a lender or lenders to get a loan pre-approval, if required, so that any offer you make will be from a position of strength. This is the first and most important step in the home buying process. The buyer's agent will require a copy of the pre-approval for their records if a loan is involved or a copy of the proof of funds if this is going to be a cash transaction. • Shorten the home search time using a buyer process survey. • Email you property to preview at your leisure to determine those that you will be interested in seeing. • Help you understand the entire purchase process. • Help find the right home to purchase. • Point out unnoticed features or faults in the property that are visible. • Make sure you see the best available homes for sale. • Prior to you making any offers they should prepare a comparative market analysis to determine the fair value range of the property. A price asked by the seller might bear little relationship to the actual current market value. • Make recommendations as to the price to be offered with the goal of obtaining the property that suits you best at the best possible price: of course, all decisions will be yours to make as to how the offer is to be made. • Will assist you throughout the negotiating process. • Before you sign anything will make certain you fully understand your obligations when making an offer on a property. • The offer form will be explained. • The offer form should have a financing clause and an inspection clause, as well as any other contingencies that may be required, so you can cancel the offer based on any situation that would make it unfeasible to continue with the purchase. Remember many of these contingencies may have time frames/completion dates that are applicable and once the date has passed you no longer can cancel the contract without consequences. • Monitor the closing process to make certain everything is accomplished as agreed and make sure to avoid any problems during the closing process. • Provide a list of service providers if required. The buyer may be expected to sign an "EXCLUSIVE BUYER BROKERAGE AGREEMENT" for the agents services to the buyer. Many agents will require this of the buyers, which gives the buyer an agent that the agents fiduciary responsibility is to the home buyer and no one else during the entire home buying process until the transaction is completed.
