Many buyers wonder if the listing agent of a home they are interested in will show the home to them. The answer is "yes", as the listing agent is obligated to show his or her client’s home. A listing agent is hired by the seller to work 100% for the seller’s best interests.  

Additionally some buyers wonder if they can save some money by going directly to that seller's agent to buy the home. On the surface, the thought of cutting out the "middleman (a buyer's agent)" may sound like a way to save time and money. While it may save time, the buyer will NOT save money on that specific purchase transaction.  

When you visit a public open house and an agent asks you to sign the "sign-in sheet" what should you say? What should you write down? What are the rules for who can represent you if you decide that the Open House is, in fact, your future Dream House? 

Many times the agent holding the open house states the seller is requiring a list of everyone who walked through the house as a measurement of interest and to get feedback on the price and condition of the property. Some agents state that their company policy, brokerage and/or seller require the list of visitors for security reasons in case something ends up missing from the house.  

While these are legitimate reasons, if you have ever provided your real contact information at an open house, you have probably experienced being contacted for something other than the explained reason. Most likely you were solicited to see if you wanted an agent to show you a different house or if you needed pre-approved for a mortgage.

Never miss the perfect home again!

Here are a few quick ALERT tips that can make your home search much more intuitive. All you have to do is login to HomeScout and the red arrows highlighted in the images below will help you unlock these powerful features. Make sure to refine and save your Search Criteria and then turn on New Listing and Open House Email Alerts so you don't miss out when properties become available.