I got the chance to correspond with a reporter in San Diego who wrote an article this week about one of the juror's responses following the verdict in the Ummel vs. their Realtor (R) case.
Like many of you, the reporter had not heard of Exclusive Buyer's Agents before we had our exchange.
Shortly thereafter she posted this follow-up which included some of my comments:
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/survival/#blurb1
Here is a small portion of the round-up:
Today I heard from Benjamin Clark, a real estate broker in Salt Lake City, who says he only represents buyers, never any sellers. And he's on the board of directors of a national group of such agents, known as Exclusive Buyer's Agents, who sign a code of conduct that "binds their loyalty to home buyers" and mandates they disclose all comparable sales to their clients.
That was a big issue in the case last week, as the Ummels claimed their agent had caused them to overpay for their house by not telling them about other houses that had recently sold for less. The jury sided with the agent, who was not a member of that organization and as such was not subject to its code of conduct.
The reporter is Kelly Bennett and her original story about the Ummel Verdict is worth a read as well:
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2008/04/11/housing/883ummel041108.txt
Here is the link to the juror's response as reported by Ms. Bennett:
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2008/04/18/survival/540juror041408.txt
And here is my blog entry regarding the juror's response:
Ummel Case Juror Suggests "Buyers Agents Suck"
The bottom line is this:
If you are planning to buy a home, make sure you get an Agent who is really on YOUR side of the transaction!
If you have excellent credit and will be buying a $250,000-$750,000 home in the next 30-60 days and would like an agent who will work exclusively for you, call us at (801) 969-8989 or contact us via the link on this page.
©2008 Homebuyer Representation, Inc. "The Real Estate Agents on the Buyer's Side" ™ Exclusive Buyers Agents (EBA) - All Rights Reserved
Exclusive Buyer Brokerages do not list homes and never represent Sellers. Their agents represent Buyers ONLY on the Buyer's side of the transaction. They work to get BUYERS the Best Price and Terms when they Buy...
©2008 Homebuyer Representation, Inc. - Salt Lake City, UT
Exclusive Buyers Agents (EBA) - All Rights Reserved
Finally...


And many agents today even question whether the liability of dual agency is worth it.
As I always say, whether Buying or Selling... "Get Your Own Agent!" TM
You said it all, when will the public get up to date on Buyer Agency?