What is an ABR – and Why Should You Use One?

The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded to real estate practitioners by the Real Estate BUYER'S AGENT Council ("REBAC") of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria. Two key areas emphasized in ABR training are how to identify potential problems with a property and how to negotiate the best price on behalf of the buyer. REBAC is an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors.

What ALL Buyers Need to Know... According to a recent NAR Home Buyers & Sellers Report, the three most important tasks home buyers say that want the buyer's representative to perform are:

Finding the right home

Assisting with the paperwork

Negotiating the price

As a buyer, if you are not working exclusively with an Accredited Buyer's Representative, you could be denying yourself services that can greatly impact your next real estate purchase. Such services include:

• Confidentiality
• Being educated about the market
• Price counseling (including receiving a comparative market analysis to help you decide how to determine
  your asking price)
• Suggesting protective clauses in the sales contract on your behalf
• Suggesting alternative financing, that may be in your best interest
• Implementing other negotiating techniques on your behalf
• Sharing known information about the seller and/or the property
• Receiving follow through after the sales contract has successfully closed

When a buyer contracts with a "Buyer's Agent", that agent will be working for the buyer, not the seller. If you are in the market for a home, doesn't it make more sense when your agent is actually representing you and your best interest?

Selecting an Accredited Buyer Representative should be your first step once you have decided to purchase a home.