There’s always something to howl about.

Buyer’s agency at new home subdivisions: “There is an immense value in representation . . . “

This is email I had from Joe Bourland, branch manager of a Century 21 office in Avondale, Arizona, objecting to my column in this morning’s Republic. His arguments are not wrong, they’re just beside the point. There is no possible doubt that a good buyer’s agent will do a lot more work on a resale home than on a new build. So the question his response studiously avoids is this one: Why should a buyer’s agent get paid as much as three times more for doing less work?

Mr. Swann,

Disappointment is probably not a strong enough word to describe my feeling after reading your article in the Southwest addition of the Arizona Republic. The simplistic approach to real estate you highlight in the article may be indicative of your approach to real estate but is certainly NOT the structure of a real estate professional.

New home builders may “only pay for the introduction” but the buyer is expecting representation. Some builder salespersons may not want a buyer’s agent involvement in the transaction. That is not their option. Real estate agents will continue to have a fiduciary responsibility to the buyer client. You neglect to comment on the role of a competent buyer agent to protect the client from the builder. Too many cases of padded lender fees, lack of proper inspections and ridiculous “necessary” upgrade charges show on the settlement statement of unsuspecting new home buyers. A buyer’s representative can help deter all of that.

It is unfortunate that a real estate agent may put greed in front of what is best for the consumer. Indeed it has happened. But the majority of real estate professionals, more specifically REALTORS, overtly choose to put the client’s needs as the highest priority.

Maybe you should look into your established practices of real estate. There is an immense value in representation. Hopefully, the educated buyer you warn will realize the disservice you promote for clients.

Joe Bourland PC, CRS,ABR,QSC, REALTOR?
Branch Manager
Century 21 Metro Alliance-Palm Valley
Director-Glendale Board of REALTORS?

Bourland copies his email to nine other local real estate brokers, which I consider well-poisoning — essentially DOJ-bait — but I don’t care. Instead, I’d love to hear the phone conversations taking place in Avondale right now, as recent buyers fumble through their HUD-1s, trying to figure our how much “their” agent got paid for “representing” them in their new-home purchases.

Breathe deep, boys. There’s a clue in the air, and, if you’re very lucky, you just might catch it…

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