We've been house shopping. The very first house we looked at is the one we like so far. But it was showed to us by a different realtor, and it was the only one she showed us. We've seen several houses with our realtor we've been using since. Is it ethical to have the realtor show us the house, then make an offer? Or do we have to go back to the first one, despite the work the second has done for us? Would the first ever know if we bought it from the second?

sounds like it a multi listed house . as the consumer your ethical position should be to get the best deal you can and yes the person who sold house would be on the multi list database

Real estate....my fav!

First things first, have you signed an Exclusive Right to Buy contract with either realtor? If you have, it'* very simple, you're obligated by contract to make an offer through that realtor. If you don't buy through the realtor you have a contract with, contractually, that realtor can go after you for the commissions that would have otherwise been earned.

If there is no contract, that'* where it becomes an ethical situation. A good rule of thumb is to submit an offer with the original realtor that showed you the property. That'* if you haven't worked with any other realtors in the mean time. Is the realtor on the first home you looked at also the listing agent? If that'* the case, I would NOT use that realtor. They're working in the best interest of the seller, not necessarily you, the buyer.

To keep things clean in the future, use one realtor, exclusively. Don't be scared to sign the Exclusive Right to Buy contract. That'* there to ensure you don't go to another realtor. Basically a non-compete clause. Once they have that in their hands, they'll work very hard for you.

Can you tell I have my real estate sales license?!?!

i hate using realtors. my friends mom is still mad bc we bought our house without using her. i feel like i know enough about houses to do my own shopping. i dont ask for someone else to help me when im buying a car [though, they usually impose themselves and i do my best to make it feel like an imposition], i dont need one when im buying a house.

I like our realtor. He knows the business and the area better than I do. He also knows the advertising "tricks" some realtors use (i.e., "House needs some TLC" = anything from paint to "the frealkin floor is missing")

Also, he knows better than I ever will which houses, or neighbourhoods, will increase or decrease in value.

Never having dealt with real estate before, I feel a lot better with an "expert" helping me, than just blindly jumping in to the biggest purchase I will likely ever make in my life...

You got that right! I agree. That is like being an attorney and representing yourself in court. You know the saying is that: "an attorney representing himself has a fool for a client. "

easily solved by doing research. though, a lot of people dont have the time that requires. i make the time because i hate the feeling that someone else is making money by helping me, and i have no way to dictate how much money that is. with a waitor, i can just change my tip.

jwakamud -- It doesn't cost you anything as a buyer to use a realtor. Those fees/commissions are paid by the seller.

If you can go it alone, more power to you. I have bought and sold some properties FSBO. There'* nothing wrong with it other than you don't get the exposure, won't get the marketing, won't have access to the realtor knowledge base, etc. Plus, the realtor will carry the weight of making sure the transaction is a success, and as smooth as possible. There'* a lot of coordinaton that must occur to close on a property.

Mos and Tracy already did a good job of explaining other benefits.

As a quick FYI - This is the service portal website the realtors are using: http://www.mls.com/

That'* one of many. Most realtors use a service that is invisible to the consumers because consumers don't pay the board dues. For what it'* worth, it'* called Kinnexus. Most regional boards have their own sites too. www.realtor.com is mostly used to generate referrals.