Here’s what the experts have to say about the benefits of using a buyer’s representative. “If you’re acting for both parties, you’re not fighting for one or the other, you’re being a more neutral party,” said June Barlow, vice president and general counsel for the California Association of Realtors. The buyer who is determined to avoid dual agency from the outset is best served by engaging an independent buyer’s agent from the outset. San Francisco Chronicle, July 2001 “A buyer who relies on the seller’s agent or on dual agency does not receive the same degree of legal protection as that afforded by an agent acting solely on behalf of the buyer.” Snider v. Oklahoma Real Estate Commission, June 1999 “…if you get the feeling that this time your agent is really on your side of the bargaining table, well, it’s true: If the agent is a ‘buyer’s agent.’” Chicago Tribune, July 2001 "Buyer brokers: agents that buyers can call their own...If your real estate agent isn't a buyer broker, he works for the seller...Buyers no long have to fend for themselves." U.S. News & World Report "Many people don't realize that, unless specifically stated otherwise, brokers are legal representatives of sellers. A buyer broker, representing only the buyer, may be able to secure a better price and better terms." Good Housekeeping Agents: How to hire one for your side." "Most agents who show you homes don't represent your interests. They work for the seller, and their object is to sell the house for the highest possible price." USA Today "Buyer brokers have the buyer's interests in mind. They act as a personal advocate, hunting for the right house and haggling with the seller's agent. In fact, a 1992 study by a national long distance phone company found that 200 relocating workers who used buyer brokers paid an average of 91% of the offering price, whereas those using traditional brokers paid 96%." Diversion Magazine for Physicians