If you are looking for Homes for Sale in Bucks County or Hunterdon County, you are probably thinking of antique stone houses, country and river properties, old farm houses, horse properties, log homes, and weekend properties with great views.

Mercedes Hayes has had a presence in this region for many years, specializing in unique properties and vintage homes in the Delaware River Valley. Let's face it... There's a lot of information on the internet. Wouldn't it be easier to work with an agent who already knows the area and already knows the houses for sale? I'm licensed in both PA and NJ and I live in a log home my husband and I built ourselves.

Why do you  need a Buyer Agent?

In the wake of recent high-profile lawsuits against NAR, there is a lot of confusion about the role—or even value—of the Buyer Agent. Without our agency representation, a buyer is on his/her own. What would an unrepresented buyer have to deal with?  

Although the following steps in the Home Sale Process are taken for granted, the Buyer Agent has to orchestrate the process: 
 - Through our experience, we know what to look for when locating and showing a property—things you may not notice or even know to ask about. (Busy road? The septic? What kind of heating system? etc.)
 - We are required to attend Continuing Education courses so we can stay current on Real Estate issues.
 - We already know the most reliable Mortgage brokers, according to our experience.
 - Through our paid membership to the MLS, We are able to search for comparable sold properties to help you determine what price to offer. We are familiar with pricing in the neighborhood.
 - We can have discussions with the Listing Agent that you wouldn’t have an opportunity to pursue. Again, you might not know what questions to ask.
 - We write the agreement of sale. Who will do that for an unrepresented buyer? 
 - We will negotiate the contract for you. Most people are not good at negotiating for themselves.
 - We attend all inspections, primary and secondary. We review inspection reports with you, and help you determine what is important and needs to be dealt with immediately.
 - We will meet any specialists at the property who will give you a quote for repairs. That way, you won't have to take time off from work.
 - We keep track of all deadlines so you don’t have to.
 - We will “babysit” all closing documents and make sure everything is in order.

Up to this point, the Seller has traditionally paid for both the Listing Agent and the Buyer Agent’s commission. If these lawsuits come to fruition, this may all change and the Buyer will be responsible to pay their Agent’s commission. This will be an uphill battle for Buyer Agents, because, as I said, most of our work is taken for granted. 

Nobody wants to work for free. And we already do, much of the time. Everything on this list is done “gratis”, with the anticipation that our commission will be paid at settlement. If our work doesn’t result in a house sale, we don’t get paid! 

IT’S HAPPENING ALREADY. Some sellers are listing their property without any compensation for the Buyer Agent. This is why we must ask you to read the Buyer Agency agreement carefully. If the seller pays our commission, there is no problem. If s/he does NOT, we must ask you to pay our commission (usually 2.5% of sale price), or we cannot show you the house. This creates a whole new scenario we’ve never had to deal with, and we’re just not sure how the whole situation will pan out.  Remember, the commission is paid at settlement. No up-front costs to work with a Buyer Agent.

Thanks ahead of time for your consideration.