What Does a Real Estate Agent Do for a Buyer?

If you’re considering buying or selling your home, you’ll likely want to work with a real estate agent. These professionals are experts at these transactions, helping ensure they’re efficient and successful. 

Buyers who elect to house hunt on their own and sellers who take the for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) route can incur more headaches and work for themselves. Paying agent commissions is a small price given all the time these real estate professionals put in for their clients. Partnering with a realtor makes the home sale process smoother, more fair, and legally safer for both parties. 

In many real estate transactions, each party has their own agent. These realtors, known as a buyer’s and a seller’s agent, represent the respective party’s interests and negotiate on their behalf. Here’s everything you need to know about what a real estate agent does for a home buyer. 

So, what’s a buyer’s agent anyway? 

A buyer’s agent, as the name implies, is the realtor representing the purchasing party in a property transaction. Buyer’s agents are licensed professionals, experienced in making home purchases agile and ensuring that paperwork and negotiations are performed correctly. 

Some buyer’s agents are dual representation realtors, meaning they work with the buyer and seller. While these non-exclusive agents may be talented at balancing both ends of a real estate transaction, it can be challenging for them to advocate for one side or another in a negotiation. A buyer who wants an agent’s full focus should opt for an exclusive agent. 

What does a buyer’s agent do? 

Making the home buying process “smoother,” “more fair,” and “legally safer” is a high-level way of describing the numerous tasks an agent takes on to achieve those aims. Here are the finite ways buyer’s agents get the job done. 

Finding appropriate properties 

One of the most important roles buyer’s agents have is finding their client a new home that’s a great match. This work entails getting to know the buyer’s needs, ideal price range, and lifestyle preferences. For a buyer moving to a new city or town and who’s unfamiliar with the surroundings, the agent can even provide advice on neighborhoods that’ll mesh well with their personality and price range. 

The agent will then search databases, like the multiple listing service (MLS), to find solid options in the local market. They’ll also tap into their professional networks—talking to other agents and sellers who may have a property that’s a great fit. 

Organizing property visits 

Once a buyer sets their eyes (and maybe their heart) on a property listing, their agent will set up a viewing—a visit to the home to experience it in person. The agent will take care of scheduling a showing that works for all parties, including the seller’s agent, who will give a tour and explain the property’s highlights. 

A buyer’s agent will also inform their clients of open houses on properties that could be of interest. Open houses are appointment-free viewing periods when buyers can drop by a for-sale home.

Writing offers

When a buyer finds the right property, they’ll want to put an offer in. The buyer needs to know how much they can officially afford before taking this step, which means getting pre-approved by a lender for a specific mortgage amount. With their pre-approval letter in hand, the buyer can make a dollar offer to the seller, providing earnest money, a sum paid to formalize the transaction.

A buyer’s agent works with their client to establish a fair offer on the property, establishing any contingencies. Contingencies are conditions that must be met for the real estate transaction to go through, and they might include asking the seller to get a home inspection or repair known issues with the property.

Once an offer is made, the buyer waits. The seller can accept, reject, or make a counteroffer—attempting to meet the buyer in the middle. 

Not only do buyer’s agents make the offer process smoother by walking their clients through it, but they also handle the paperwork. A formal offer must be made through a residential purchase agreement, a document that adheres to local laws. This contract (which, depending on the state, a realtor may even involve a lawyer in) includes fine points like contingencies, seller’s disclosures (known property issues the owner must state), loan closing dates, closing fees, and more. 

Handling negotiations 

If a seller doesn’t accept a buyer’s offer, the latter’s agent goes to bat, negotiating the sales price or contingencies on the purchaser’s behalf. The realtor will also level with the buyer about whether the counteroffer is fair and what strategy they should apply when approaching the seller again.

Real estate transactions can get emotional for the buyer and seller since they’re directly invested in the sale. High-running emotions can cause either party to make a snap (and not ideal) decision about an offer. But agents can face negotiations with a clear head. A buyer’s agent will help ensure their client doesn’t overpay just because their heart is set on a property. 

Helping with closing and post-closing proceedings

Once a seller accepts an offer, they and the buyer move into the closing process: the final stage of the real estate transaction. The buyer pays the seller and gets the deed, keys, and access code to the property (the timeline of these events can vary by state). Both parties sign the final documentation. The buyer’s agent, along with the seller and their realtor, will attend the closing. The agents review the documents and ensure the meeting goes smoothly for all parties. 

A good buyer’s agent will follow up with their client after the close, checking how they are enjoying their new property. The realtor might also provide referrals—say, if a buyer is eager to remodel the kitchen and needs a reliable contractor. 

Home sellers: make your home stand out with potential buyers

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