Home Buyer's Guide

RISKS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY BUYERS

Conflict of Interest

An agent in a dual agency situation has to delicately balance the interests of both the seller and the buyer. This can be challenging because the goals of the buyer (to buy at the lowest possible price) and the seller (to sell at the highest possible price) are inherently at odds.

Limited Guidance and Advice

As a dual agent, the level of guidance and advice I can provide is limited. For example, I can't advise you, the buyer, on how low of an offer you should submit, just as I can't advise the seller on how low they should go in their acceptance.

Reduced Advocacy

In a typical buyer-agent relationship, the agent advocates fiercely for the buyer’s interests. In dual agency, this advocacy is diluted because the agent must remain neutral, which can lead to less than optimal outcomes for both parties.

Confidentiality Concerns

Maintaining confidentiality can be complex in dual agency. Information shared by you as the buyer could inadvertently influence how I deal with the seller, and vice versa, even though I’d be bound to keep both parties' information confidential.

Potential for Misunderstandings

Dual agency can lead to misunderstandings and confusion, as the agent's role is not as clear-cut as in a single-agency situation.

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