1) Do you, or the Company you are with, take listings? We don’t, but all other agents and companies do! Buyer’s Edge Realty. Never takes listings and never represents sellers. We are Lancaster’s Only Realtor that represents Buyers Only. We provide 100 % Loyalty to Homebuyers - 100 % of the time! 100% focus on your needs.

2) Will you try to sell me one of your listed properties before you show me listings from other Real Estate Companies? We have no listings to sell and therefore we will show you everything that is available right from the beginning. We do not steer you to any particular properties and we will help you buy the home you want. Agents that take listings are required by law to attempt to sell their listings first and their company listings next before showing other properties.

3) Do you have information about FiSBOS (For Sale By Owner) properties available? Yes! We try to keep information on these properties available for the use of our Buyer Clients. FiSBOS like to work with us as we are not seeking a listing and our fee is lower than the fees that traditional agents usually charge.

4) Do you represent Buyers as a Buyer’s Agent? Yes! This is all that we do!

5) What percentage of your business involves being a Buyer’s Agent vs. being a Seller’s Agent? 100 % Buyer’s Agent

6) What training have you taken that specifically relates to being a Buyer’s Agent and representing Buyers? We have completed numerous courses and seminars on home construction, contract law, negotiating, financing, taxation, and training dealing specifically with the practice of representing Buyers.

7) Do you have any specific Buyer’s Agent professional designations?

8) Do you belong to any National Buyer Agent Organizations?

9) Do you have any other Professional Designations?

10) Do you know the six fiduciary, client level duties you would owe to me if I chose to hire you as my Buyer’s Agent?

11) Who will you represent if I am interested in one of your "in-house" listings? We don’t take listings and therefore can fully represent you on any property you might be interested in, whether listed or unlisted. Other agents have to either refer you to another agent with another company or operate as a "dual agent".

12) Will you want me to allow you to be a "dual agent"? We never operate as dual agents. Most traditional brokers will, however. They want both sides of the deal...the "double-dip" so to speak. Dual Agency makes more money for the traditional broker and many of the larger companies rely on Dual Agency.

13) Dual Agency is legal in Pennsylvania with "informed" consent. What does "informed" consent mean? "Informed consent" means that the agent has the legal duty to "fully inform" you of all the negative aspects of Dual Agency. The common practice among traditional agents however, is to "disclose" and not "fully inform"! This is misleading to buyers and it is illegal.

14) What are the negative aspects of dual agency? The dual agent no longer owes you the duties of Undivided Loyalty and Full Disclosure. These are pretty important duties. The dual agent can’t be an advocate for you, can’t negotiate for you, can’t suggest an offering price, and can’t point out potential defects or problems. The dual agent can’t provide you with information about the seller such as motivation for selling, price they paid or how long or how many times the property has been on the market. The dual agent is providing you with "limited" fiduciary duties, yet, the dual agent still wants to be paid the amount of money that they would get if they fully represented you!

15) Do you really think it is in "my" best interests to use a dual agent? It is not in your best interest to use a dual agent! Attorneys know better and rarely represent both of two opposing parties. Buyers and Sellers have conflicting needs and deserve true, full and independent representation at all times. You are paying the commissions for all agents involved in your purchase. Make sure at least one of the agents is fully representing you.

16) Do you use a written buyer agency contract? (Ask for a copy) We always use a written buyer agency contract. Please call and we will mail one to you for your review. This is an employment agreement, much like a listing agreement between a seller and a seller’s agent. It puts in writing what is expected of the Buyer and the Buyer’s Agent, what services are being provided and the cost of those services. Agents who don’t use a written buyer agency contract are very casual about Buyer Agency and probably don’t have the professional experience, skills or knowledge to properly represent you as evidenced by the fact they don’t put their services and costs in writing. In Pennsylvania it must be in writting for an agent to represent the BUYER.

17) If I don’t like the job you are doing for me or if I don’t want you to be a dual agent, will you let me cancel my agreement? You may cancel our agreement at any time with a written notice to us. In Pennsylvania it must be in writing for an agent to represent the buyer.

18) If you work for a commission,why would you try to lower the price of a home for me? For every $1,000 that Buyer’s Edge Realty can save you on the price of the home, it reduces the commission by about only $30.00. We will gladly help you save thousands of dollars because our business depends heavily upon referrals from happy clients, not to mention the fact that we are legally required to work for the best interests of our clients.

19) Will you shop for a mortgage for me or do you have any special sources of financing where I can save on a mortgage and get better rates or pay lower fees than what is usually available? Yes! We are very aware of mortgage programs, interest rates and closing costs. As such we use the services of a mortgage broker who will look out for your best interests and make mortgages available to you with lower rates and lower closing costs than generally other banks and mortgage brokers have to offer. We will have you pre-qualified for a mortgage before we start to look for homes and provide you with a good faith estimate of your cash requirements for down payment and closing costs. This ensures that there will be no problems with respect to your home purchase and that you know from the beginning what buying a home will cost.

20) Specifically, how will you protect my interests and why should I hire you rather than another agent?

WE ARE SPECIALISTS WE NEVER PRACTICE DUAL AGENCY: Most other agents in the Lancaster Area practice "Dual Agency". Dual Agency is really a form of bait and switch. You become sold on the idea of Buyer Representation and then you are switched to Dual Agency for in-house listings. Remember, you are paying the commissions of both agents because these are included in the price you are offering. Traditionally the seller writes the commission checks, but the buyer brought the money to closing to give to the seller that lets the seller write these checks. You should get full client level, full fiduciary services at all times for your money. You will be "short-changed" in a dual agency situation as well as possibly pay too much and overlook defects or problems. Also, the larger the company the agent is with, the greater the chance that you will want one of their listings and find yourself in a dual agency situation. Because we don’t take listings or represent sellers, we are never dual agents. You will get 100% loyalty from us, 100% of the time. We are the only REALTOR® in the Lancaster Area that can do that!