Information on Central Ohio and Columbus, Ohio real estate brokers and agents.

As a Buyer, you will obviously develop a strong relationship with the Agent, but you really have an indirect relationship with the Agent's Broker, who is responsible for the actions of the Agent(s). How could this relationship affect you and what is the exposure?

• One-stop shopping: This feature is marketed as a convenience that allows you to satisfy all of your needs in one place. Sounds good, right? Does it mean that the company is truly shopping for the best prices for you, or does it mean that they want to capture more of your business? To fairly evaluate the services they are providing, you should question:
  • How do the charges for these services compare to what is available in the marketplace?
  • Do they competitively shop for the best deal or is it "one stop, one choice" shopping ?
  • Does the Agent profit if I use these services?
  • Does the Broker profit whatsoever when using the suggested lender, security service, Title Company, insurance service, etc.?
• Bonuses for in-house sales: Some brokers will give bonuses to Agents if the Buyer purchases one of the company's own listings. When an Agent has the opportunity to earn a bonus, it may create a situation where you will question his motivation.
• Broker is a Dual Agent: If the Seller's Agent and the Buyer's Agent, both work at the same brokerage, then the Broker is now a Dual Broker. The Agents can legally represent their client's best interest, but the Broker (who controls the actions of the Agents) cannot work to put one party at an advantage over the other.