Double dipping...

​Because integrity will always be at the heart of my business, I do not "double-end" transactions. That means I won’t represent a buyer on one of my listings. As your hired agent, my legally binding fiduciary duty is to broker a deal on your behalf and protect your best interest throughout the process. While it's currently legal in California (and not in some other states), I personally don't feel that it's in anyone's best interest (including mine) to try to serve the "best interest" of two parties on two opposite sides of a deal. I wouldn't allow an agent to do that representing me, so why would I do that to you?

Some agents strongly disagree with me and one said, "well you just don't have the skill set to do it." Actually, I do, but I’d rather be able to sleep at night. The classic example is if my seller tells me, "My bottom line is 1 million, but I hope we can get more." And then my buyer tells me, "I could go to 1.2 million, but I'd like to bid less." Really? How should I advise my buyer to bid in that situation and represent "everyone's" best interest?

Of course I’m going to beat the bushes for buyers if I am representing your property. When I find one, I have an exceptional team of colleagues who can step in to assist unrepresented buyers. I receive a referral fee, but I have no further contact with those buyers and you will know who they are when the bids come in. If you’re a buyer client of mine and find that one of my listings is the perfect fit for you, I follow the same process.

Lastly, some agents will offer their sellers a discount if they double-end the deal. That type of deal is the best example of what “you get what you pay for” truly means.

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