If you've read over "What is Buyer Agency?", you should have a pretty good grasp of the concept. Now, your big question probably is "How do we work together?"

I work with clients on both an exclusive and non-exclusive basis. There are significant benefits to you to an exclusive relationship, and most clients choose to work with me that way. However, some clients prefer a more casual relationship and are willing to forgo the benefits of Exclusive Buyer Agency. Generally, if you're serious and motivated about finding a house in Sullivan County, exclusive buyer agency works best. However, if you're not quite sure whether Sullivan County is right for you (and you're looking in a number of different areas) or are a little undecided about a second home, a non-exclusive relationship may be your best choice. Some clients start out on a non-exclusive basis and then switch over to Exclusive Buyer Agency.

Here are the pros and cons of each relationship:

Exclusive Buyer Agency

Exclusive Buyer Agency is a mutual commitment to each other, with a written agreement between us outlining our mutual expectations and responsibilities. Essentially, you make a commitment to work with me and in exchange, I agree to work my &$^$% off to find you a house. My Exclusive Buyer Agency clients are always my #1 priority. Think of it as Mileage Plus Premier, AAdvantage Platinum and private banking all rolled up in one.

Exclusive Buyer Agency provides you with:

Priority Notification of New Listings
When a new listing comes on the market that fits your criteria, I notify you first, before my non-exclusive clients. My Exclusive clients have 48-72 hours to respond before I email it to my non-exclusive clients. Think of it as a "head start", a major advantage in an active market, particularly if oyu're looking for a type of property in high demand.

Access to "For Sale By Owner" Properties
There are some good "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) properties around, and, as an Exclusive client, I'll arrange to show them to you. FSBO's, by definition, don't pay any commission, and let's be honest, I'm not in this just for my health. Exclusive clients have agreed to pay me a modest fee if they purchase a FSBO I show them. There is no written agreement with non-exclusive clients for compensation on FSBO's, so I don't include them in what I show. About 10% of houses that my clients buy are FSBO's, by the way — and there can be some great deals!

Priority Appointments
Exclusive clients have priority on my time. If you notify me by Wednesday that you want to come up that weekend, I guarantee an appointment time (if I'm not out of town.) If you notify me on Thursday or Friday you want to come up that weekend, I'll do whatever I can to fit you in. And if the dream house you've been waiting and waiting for comes on the market, I'll move mountains to get you in to see it.

Category Exclusivity
I only work with 1 or 2 clients in an exclusive relationship for any given property category, e.g. lakefront homes on a motorboat lake or privately set farmhouses.

Non-Exclusive Buyer Agency

Under a non-exclusive arrangement, I still act as your representative, with my fiduciary responsibility to you, the buyer. But there is no written agreement between us, and you are technically free to work with other agents, as well (although most of my clients don't actually do that. They're pretty happy with "one stop shopping.") Think of it like dating, rather than marriage.

Starting the Process - Either Exclusive or Non-Exclusive

You'd never get married before dating. In the same way, I never enter into an exclusive relationship with a client until we've been out together once or twice. That's our time to get to know each other and determine whether there's a fit between us.

Drop me an email (davidk@beechwoods.net) or give me a call at 845-468-5710. If you send an email, its helpful if you include any listings you've found on the internet that have caught your fancy, or houses you may have already seen. I generally like to talk on the phone for 15 or 20 minutes to get a good sense of what you're looking for. I'll email you some listings that I think might be appealing, and then we'll talk or email back and forth a few times about what you like and don't like.

At that point, we'll make an appointment for you to come up and see some houses or drive through different areas that might be attractive to you. While we are looking at houses, we're also checking each other out — is there a fit between us? It may take a second trip tfor both of us to decide if there's a basis for entering into an Exclusive Buyer Agency relationship.

If you decide to retain me as your Exclusive Buyer Agency, there is no upfront fee or retainer. I'm paid at closing in almost all cases by a portion of the commission paid by the seller. The agreement is typically for 6 months, but can be canelled by you at any time if you don't feel I'm doing a good job for you.