An Accredited Buyers Agent is a real estate agent who has received his or her designation from the Real Estate Buyers Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors.

In order to achieve this, the realtor must first meet specific criteria. He or she must have sufficient successful experience as a Buyers Agent. He provides evidence of this through his records of transactions.

He or she then undergoes and completes a highly specialized training program, at the end of which one must pass a written exam.  It is only upon these conditions that the realtor will be admitted into the Real Estate Buyers Agent Council. 

Why do you need an Accredited Buyers Agent?
Several real estate agencies deal with both the buying and selling of a house. It so happens that most of the time such an agency that is helping you to buy a house is also assisting the seller to sell the same house, and its main interests lie with the seller. It is therefore in your interests as a buyer to approach a buyers agent, more specifically an Accredited Buyers Agent, who will represent only you, the buyer, and owe you his or her duties and loyalty and all fiduciary responsibilities. 

What are the benefits of working with an Accredited Buyers Agent?

• Vast quantities of research that focus on specific properties that offer you the best value for your investment will be made available to you. This includes price counseling and market data.
• The Accredited Buyers Agent will evaluate your specific needs and wants objectively.
• All the properties that are viewed by you will be evaluated through unbiased observations.
• All the legal documents involved in a transaction will be openly presented to you and clearly explained before they are presented to the seller’s agent. Any doubts that you may have will be cleared up. The ABR will then make the presentation of the offer to the seller and the seller’s agent for you.
• After the acceptance of the offer and throughout the process the ABR will keep you informed about developments, deadlines, and any obligations.
• The ABR will also assist you, on request, in securing the required financing, and will advise you as to the most appropriate professionals to approach for services such as inspections, legal matters and moving.

How do you go about it?
Once you have decided on the Accredited Buyers Agent you would like to deal with, you will have to make sure that you explain in detail to him or her how much you are willing to spend, what areas you want to live in, if it must be near schools, shops, North facing, South facing, somewhere with a garden or pool, and more. They will not be allowed to use anything you say to them in their own negotiations with other third parties unless you allow them to, so you can be secure in the knowledge that your conversations will remain private and confidential. 

A Written Agency Agreement is then made. In the agreement the parties involved, the principles and agent, are identified. The manner of compensation for the agent and the responsibilities of the parties are also identified in it. 

Now that you have put everything in the hands of an Accredited Buyers Agent you can rest assured that it is your interests that are being promoted and protected throughout the transaction and you will soon be the proud owner of just the right home.