Recently we have been approached by 3 different buyers who would like us to show them our listings, as they feel by working with the Listing agent they will get a "better deal".  Once they have narrowed down a property, they are discounting the listed price by 2.5% as they feel they should get a "better deal" as they come un-represented...sans an agent.

What the buyers fail to understand is that they are now being represented in the capacity of a customer and not a client.  The agents loyalty is with the seller with whom they have a pre existing relation and not with any random buyer off the street.

Such a buyer put in an offer on a condo and was not aware of what a status certificate was.  The buyer went ahead and bought in a condo where there was a special assesment and a very low reserve fund.  Had he been working with an agent in order to protect his interests and buy a property with the best value, rather than the "better deal", he would have been advised of the importance of a status certificate and most likely many other details of the buying process not known to most home buyers.

The importance to buyers should not be paying the lowest price and getting the "better deal", but working with someone who has your best interests in mind in order to get the most out of your property in the long run.