The right (or wrong) Real Estate agent affects not only your home buying outcome, but also your entire home buying experience.

The most important thing you can do as a home buyer is to choose the right real estate agent before you start looking. The traditional agent takes listings and usually represents the seller, but would not hesitate to act as a dual agent and represent the buyer of the same property.

An Exclusive Buyer Agent (EBA), or Buyer's Broker, works for an office that does not take listings of any kind, and represents only buyers.

Here are some questions a future homeowner should ask before selecting an agent:

1. How long have you been representing buyers as an EBA?
2. Do you, or the company you are with, take listings? Practice dual agency?
3. What percentage of your personal business, and what percentage of your company's business is representing buyers? Is the balance of that representing sellers?
4. Will you try to sell me on of your companies listings, and can you represent me 100% when doing so?
5. Do you have information about For Sale By Owner properties?
6. How many buyers have you successfully represented in the last 6 months? Can I have the name and phone number of 6 of these buyers?
7. What specific buyer agent training have you had in the last year, and what negotiation courses have you taken?
8. What are the six fiduciary, client level duties you would owe to me if I hire you as my buyer's agent? (Confidentiality, Accountability, Reasonable Skill and Care, Undivided Loyalty, Obedience to Lawful Instructions, Full Disclosure)
9. Will you ask me to sign a buyer representation contract?
10. What is your average savings per buyer?
11. Will you recommend other professionals to assist me? (inspectors, appraisers, lawyers, etc.)
12. Will you ever become an intermediary? If so, explain.
13. What clauses in an offer, will you recommend to protect me as a buyer?
14. Will you check neighborhoods for registered sex offenders, and give us other crime statistics?
15. How will you help me save money?
16. Do you take realtor bonuses, or commissions over 3%?
17. Specifically, how will you protect my best interests, and why should I hire you rather than another agent?