Rick Hauser - GRI, Broker/Owner of Relocation Advisors Group Inc.  runs a different  type of Real Estate company in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs.   It is an  "Exclusive Buyers Brokerage" - which represents home buyers 100% - with no conflict of interest.  

Hauser  leverages his background in defense intelligence and corporate competitive intelligence to turn the tables on the seller and the seller's agent by digging up facts on the house and the seller's position that can work to the benefit of the buyer.  Good negotiation isn't just "dickering."   The company uncovers "intelligence"  that can enhance the negotiating position of their buyer clients - such as the sellers original purchase price, and when it sold (helps determine how much equity the seller may have), time on the market, offers received, how much similar houses are selling for, and  how anxious the seller is to make a deal.  For example - does the seller have to sell their home within a few weeks in order to be able to close on another one?  That type of information results in large purchase price savings for Relocation Advisors Group's buyer clients.

Hauser states:  "Most people who are looking for their next home, don't realize that they should use a buyer's agent at a minimum, and better yet - an exclusive buyer's agent.  If you are in the market for a home, you may think the real estate agent who chauffeurs you around town is looking out for your best interests.  Don't bet on it."
 
He says, "For years, in the traditional way of selling houses, both the agent who listed a house and the one who brought a buyer to the table were legally working for the seller - with both of them trying to get the highest price for the seller.  Information that a buyer gave their agent, such as how much they could really afford and how soon they needed to buy, was reported back to the sellers, giving them a negotiating advantage.  In this system, the deck was stacked against the buyer."

"However, in Illinois, the law changed in 1995 to state that if an agent is working with a buyer, they are presumed to be working for that buyer, unless they have an agreement that a different type of relationship has been created.  Some agents who have been around for awhile don't seem to realize this, or at least they don't seem to take it to heart in practice - and still seem to be working in a small way for the seller.  I call it the "I love you, you love me Barney syndrome."   They may tell their buyer client - "You don't want to offend the seller by making a low offer."  Or  "Nothing around here has sold for less than 97% of list recently - I'd suggest that you don't come off the price more than that."   The agent isn't trying too hard to see what they can do for their buyer on price.  They sometimes  persuade them to make as high an offer as they are comfortable with - in order to ensure the deal gets booked, so that they "won't lose the house."     Sometimes meaning - "lets get it done and over with so that I can go out on the golf course, rather than dealing with you making low offers."   

"We are patient with buyers that want to find a gem of a deal.  Traditional Real Estate agents typically get fed-up with those types of buyers.   Because we are very good at researching what is out there  - including for-sale-by-owner properties, to identify the type of home our buyer-client wants to find - they don't have to wait forever to find a nice house for a nice price.  Some clients  just want us to find a certain type of house for them - and that takes priority over looking for flexible sellers.   Others may want us to look for "fixer-uppers" or identify homes where there is a desperate seller in order to get "a good deal" - and that takes precedence over the type of home.    We will achieve whatever goal they want."  

"Despite the intent of the Illinois law - it is still "home buyer beware."  For a buyer to be represented with no potential for conflict of interest - they want an exclusive buyer's agent, who works for an exclusive buyers brokerage that does not list homes for sale.  This service is in contrast to a buyers agent who for a brokerage that lists homes for sale - where they may show more of their own company's listings vs. other listings - and where conflicts of interest can arise when the buyer is interested in one of the company's listings. " 

The  Exclusive Buyer Broker / Agent - represents the buyer and is legally bound to get the best deal possible for the buyer.   We tap all of the usual resources used to find houses, including the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), as well as sources not usually used by traditional agents, such as homes for sale by owner."
 
"As more people use Exclusive Buyer Brokers, there's mounting evidence that the old-fashioned way simply doesn't get buyers the best deal. When U.S. Sprint studied the home purchases of relocating employees, it found that those who worked with traditional real estate agents ended up paying about 5 per cent more than those who used buyer brokers. On a $200,000 house, that's $10,000 of the buyer's money wasted."
 
"As you might expect, many traditional real estate agents don't like the idea of an Exclusive Buyer Agent fighting for a lower price. But the trend toward equal representation is proving unstoppable.  Consumer advocates (including Money magazine, The National Home Buying Institute, and syndicated real estate columnist Robert Bruss) have gone on record urging consumers to seek buyer representation in purchasing a home. Exclusive Buyer Brokers nationwide have formed the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) to educate consumers and to help them find an exclusive buyer broker anywhere in the country."
 
"As more buyers wise up, many large brokerages are attempting to jump on the bandwagon by "designating" one agent within the firm to represent the seller and another to represent the buyer. That's a problem - because when the buyer is interested in one of the company's listings, the brokerage firm is already under contract to the seller to get the highest price on the best terms for the seller.  Regardless of the agent's "designation," the responsible party, the broker, remains a dual agent, obligated to the seller, yet trying to represent the buyer, in effect working both sides of the fence and creating enormous potential for conflict of interest.  The more listings a company has, the greater the possibility a buyer's "buyer agent" at that firm will end up negotiating for one of those properties - where there is a potential conflict of interest."
 
"The only way for buyers to ensure they'll have a crack at every house available that meets their needs AND have an advocate all the way through the deal, is to work with a brokerage that only represents buyers.  We don't take any listings from sellers, period.  We're here to get the best deals for buyers. We don't put ourselves in a position where there's even the potential for a conflict of interest."

"We don't charge up-front fees for our services, and almost all deals are done with no out-of-pocket costs to the purchasers.  In fact - we sometimes give our clients a purchase rebate, if the seller cooperative commission is higher than average - whereas a "buyers agent" at a traditional Real Estate company would have kept the entire commission - shared with their broker.  This is why agents at traditional Real Estate companies may be biased at showing higher commission properties. Of course, they might also show more of their own company's properties if they get a higher commission split from selling an "in-house" listing. We provide totally unbiased home showing, and show a wider array of homes (including all FSBO homes meeting a buyer's criteria), and on average - achieve a better purchase price.