Buyers Agent vs Real Estate Agent: What's the Difference?

What does a real estate agent actually do?

Real estate agents (also called selling agents or listing agents) work for property sellers:

• Paid by the seller: They receive 2.5-3% commission from the vendor when the property sells
• Loyalty to the seller: Their legal and ethical obligation is to the vendor, not to you
• Goal is highest price: They're motivated to get the maximum price possible for the seller
• Marketing properties: They advertise properties, conduct open homes, and attract buyers
• Negotiating for sellers: They negotiate on behalf of vendors to maximize sale price
• Information advantage: They know the seller's bottom line, recent offers, and property issues

Real estate agents are professionals working hard for their clients, the sellers. The problem is you're not their client when you're buying.

What does a buyers agent actually do?

Buyers agents work exclusively for property buyers:

• Paid by you: We receive a 2-3% fee from you when you successfully purchase (including $4k upfront booking fee)
• Loyalty to you: Our legal and ethical obligation is to you, the buyer
• Goal is best property at lowest price: We're motivated to find you the right property and negotiate the best price
• Searching for properties: We identify properties matching your criteria, including 60% that are off-market
• Negotiating for buyers: We negotiate on your behalf to minimize purchase price
• Due diligence and protection: We conduct comprehensive checks to protect you from costly mistakes

We're your professional representation in a transaction where you're otherwise negotiating alone against experienced selling agents.

Are they on opposite sides?

Yes. This is the critical distinction most buyers don't understand:

• Real estate agent's goal: Maximize the sale price for the seller
• Buyers agent's goal: Minimize the purchase price for you
• Opposite sides of negotiation: We're literally negotiating against each other
• Different information: Selling agents know the seller's bottom line. We know your maximum budget and true requirements.
• Competing interests: What's good for the seller (high price, quick sale, minimal conditions) is often bad for the buyer

Using a buyers agent means you finally have professional representation, rather than negotiating alone against an experienced selling agent.

Can a real estate agent help me buy a property?

Technically yes, but they're conflicted:

• They can show you properties: But they're showing you properties they're selling (where they earn commission from the vendor)
• They can't represent both parties: It's impossible to serve both buyer and seller interests in the same transaction
• Information asymmetry: They know the seller's bottom line but won't disclose it to you
• Motivation conflict: They're motivated to get the highest price for the seller, which means you pay more
• No buyer advocacy: They can't negotiate hard on your behalf because they're paid by the seller

Some buyers mistakenly think being friendly with the selling agent gives them an advantage. In reality, it often leads to overpaying.

Why do I need a buyers agent if I can see properties myself?

While you can attend open homes yourself, you're missing several advantages:

• Off-market access: 60% of our purchases never reach public listings. You'll never see these properties at open homes.
• Professional negotiation: We negotiate hundreds of purchases annually versus once every 7-10 years for most buyers
• Emotional distance: We prevent you from overpaying due to emotional attachment
• Comprehensive due diligence: We identify issues costing $50,000+ to fix before you purchase
• Time saved: We handle 100+ hours of research, inspections, and coordination
• Market knowledge: We know what properties are really worth based on comprehensive data

Even experienced property investors use buyers agents because the professional representation and off-market access provide significant value.

How are fees different between real estate agents and buyers agents?

Both charge similar percentages but for opposite purposes:

• Real estate agents: Charge sellers 2.5-3% commission to achieve the highest sale price
• Buyers agents: Charge buyers 2-3% fee (including $4k upfront) to secure the best property at the lowest price
• Seller pays selling agent: Commission comes from the seller's proceeds
• Buyer pays buyers agent: Fee is paid by you from your funds

The key difference: selling agents work to maximize what you pay. Buyers agents work to minimize what you pay. Our average client saves $65,000 through negotiation, typically exceeding our fee.

Can I trust real estate agents when buying?

Real estate agents can be honest and professional, but their loyalty isn't to you:

• They're legally and ethically obligated to the seller, not to you
• They must maximize the sale price for the vendor
• They can't disclose the seller's bottom line or motivation
• They're motivated by commission, which increases with higher sale prices

It's not about trustworthiness. It's about whose side they're on. Selling agents work for sellers. Buyers agents work for you.