Do You Really Need a Buyer’s Agent? Here’s What They Actually Do for You
Real estate is something everyone has a relationship with. Unless you’re living off the grid in a yurt somewhere, you grew up in a home your parents or caretakers either rented or owned. From day one, the idea of real estate has been stitched into your life.
For decades, there was no such thing as a “buyer’s agent.” If you wanted to buy a home, you had to work directly with the listing agent—the very person representing the seller. After enough lawsuits and unhappy buyers, new laws passed in the 1970s—and by the 1980s and ’90s they were widely adopted—finally giving consumers the right to their own representation. And just like that, the two-sided real estate transaction was born.
Most people understand what a solid listing agent does. But the role of a buyer’s agent is often misunderstood, especially today. With lawsuits in the news and the rise of discount brokerages and “DIY” apps, the job sometimes gets reduced to little more than opening doors and checking boxes on a digital form. If that were true, everyone could do it.
Spoiler alert: they can’t.
So what does a buyer’s agent actually do? Here’s a quick peek behind the curtain so you can judge for yourself.
They don’t just pull listings from the internet. You can already do that by scrolling on your phone at midnight when you can’t sleep. A good agent gets you into the homes you can’t see online, like off-market deals or opportunities that only surface through relationships. They also spend hours filtering out the junk so you don’t waste weekends on overpriced properties that don’t fit your life. Touring homes takes time, and wasting it isn’t exactly the highest and best use of yours…in my humble opinion.
And once you find “the one”? That’s when the finesse kicks in.
Writing an offer that actually wins (without overpaying) is a skill set driven by human touch, not checkboxes on a portal. Finding a home is one thing; securing it on your terms is another—especially while juggling the emotions and deadlines of a seller. Every deal has at least eight parties, and getting them to move in unison is the only way it works. So I’m often running interference—coordinating lenders, inspectors, and mountains of paperwork—so my clients make it to closing day in one piece, without accidentally defaulting on a contract or tripping over a regulation they didn’t even know existed.
But here’s the part most people don’t see: a good buyer’s agent also needs to be an expert problem solver. Every real estate transaction is unique, with its own set of personalities, timelines, and potential curveballs. While smooth deals are what everyone hopes for, that’s not always reality. Experienced agents have learned how to think creatively and navigate tricky situations when something unexpected arises—whether it’s an appraisal issue, title hiccup, inspection surprise, or financing delay. Getting a home under contract isn’t always the hardest part; sometimes, it’s keeping the deal together and guiding it safely to the closing table. That’s where years of experience, local knowledge, and level-headed problem solving truly pay off.
And that’s not even touching the emotional side of the process. Buying a home isn’t just financial…it’s personal. And no online portal can talk you through draining your life savings into a house or calm your nerves when you second-guess the decision. More often than not, I’m guiding clients through the emotional terrain as much as the paperwork, like a trail guide leading you safely past the pitfalls.
At the end of the day, a buyer’s agent isn’t there to sell you a house. That’s just the outcome of doing the process the right way. They’re there to get you the house you want, on the best possible terms, while keeping you sane and focused in the hectic (and expensive) process.
So when I hear someone say buyer’s agents just “open doors,” I usually smile politely. Then tell them the truth: the good ones open doors—and keep them from slamming shut in your face.
