Your Buyer Agent

Buyer agency is exactly as it sounds. The agent represents the buyer in their purchase. This includes not only helping to find a suitable property that fits the buyer's needs and desires, but negotiating on the buyer's behalf - fighting to get the lowest price possible, the best terms, etc. for the benefit of the client.

The WAS and IS of agency in Massachusetts...

Fifteen years ago, the concept of a Buyer's agent in Massachusetts was practically unheard of. ALL real estate agents represented the seller, regardless of which party they brought to the transaction. Yes, you read that correctly. Buyers had no representation in real estate transactions. This meant that if you were looking for a home and walked into any real estate office looking for an agent, the licensee to whom you gave all your financial information, as well as told all of your personal information , was required by law to tell the seller everything they knew about you when you'd found that right home and began "negotiating".

I'm sure you're saying to yourself right now, "That can't be right. How can the sellers have both agents in the transaction working for them, while the buyers have nobody on their side?" It just seems like an absurd way of doing things. While nobody has the full details as to why this practice continued for so many decades, the short answer is: because consumers weren't aware of what was happening, and the industry was so set in it's ways that everyone was afraid to change it for fear that they would no longer be needed and lose commissions.

Buyer Agency is born...

The early 1990's brought about a daring group of agents who decided to stand up to "traditional agency" and insist that buyer's in real estate transactions need representation as well. This concept turned the real estate industry in Massachusetts on it's ear for over a decade. Suddenly, state law required a disclosure to all consumers at the time of the first personal meeting between an agent and buyer or seller.

This "Agency Disclosure" informed the consumer of exactly whom the agent they were meeting with represented, and needed to be signed by the consumer as evidence that the agent had indeed presented this disclosure. As you can imagine, this sent the majority of agents into a panic.

There was a period of time when companies were "tested" state regulators to see if they were complying. Many got fined because of lack of compliance. There were lawsuits and finally MOST agents complied, though there are still some that still don't...

How I work for you...

The concept of representing buyers, to me, is very natural. It made no sense why only one party should be represented. So I have embraced the practice and will not work with a buyer unless I am working as their agent. You never have to worry about calling around and see if anyone returns your call. You never have to worry about being sold something that doesn't meet your needs or is beyond what you want to spend.

If I am going to work with someone, I will make a commitment to them to do everything I can to ensure the smoothest transaction possible. Should you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to contact me.

Charissa Pemper, Boston REALTOR®

Charissa Pemper
Lic. MA Real Estate Broker, REALTOR®
Charissa@HomesInBoston.com