Quest

LOL!

"....most likely we ask the seller's realtor to represent us at the same time, that yields higher chance to get it....cuz obviously the realtor can possibly get the whole commission....."

Not sure how you come about with such idea on this but looks like the dice is "biased" now....

Q.

also: to Jennypun:

Bypassing an agent and approach the listing agent directly will bring a lot of issues down the road: i.e. if there's something wrong with the house, or the seller is not being upfront and honest about things about the house/property, the seller (listing) agent can take advantage of you by not disclosing vital information to you.

afterall: a listing agent who list a seller's house is, naturally, in favour of the seller and not on the buyer's side. Anything to help wrapping up a sale will be on the seller's advantage and not on the buyer's favour (so anything bad can happen to the buyer).

Heck! the listing agent may even hire a house inspector that would not fully disclose the condition of the house (e.g. grow-ops, or most recently on CTV news: a house that has caught on fire before and the floorboards, the joists, etc. were all charred but was fully "covered" up with new drywalls, etc. and the new buyer found that out afterwards but no ways to pursue the seller for lack of disclosure.

remember this: a good (buyer's) agent is supposedly do all the research/homework for you for the commission(from seller), and a good agent can find out way more information (they have access to database and sources that ordinary folks simply don't have and call tell you a lot of things that you can't do...or takes a whole lot of time and effort in order to find out..

tsumorichisato

Yes, that's why i said this is the way we do...AS IF we already know exactly what we are buying...that's why I said ONLY IF you do the homework and know exactly what you are getting u can bypass an agent. And that's just my personal preference, I know people use their regular agents no matter what neighborhood they are buying into or even selling...but that's just not my personal perferences...And I NEVER MADE a single comment to Jenny that she should always use a listing agent instead of bypassing her own agent.

You have your valid points but I'm just sharing mine. I have used listing agents and have zero problem and at the end it's a pretty good deal too (we are the favourable side, not the seller)..so I agree there's a chance a listing agent is more favourable to the seller ,well it all comes down to the offers on the table and it's again case by case.  it's just 50/50 chance here...

A professional agent should be able to handle both sides fairly anyway, shouldn't be it or otherwise why the practice is even allowed...now it's just the matter if the agent is GOOD or BAD.

Come on, I am not trying to be a realtor expert here but like she put the question out I just try to put what i have been seeing and doing for the past years.

You guys are welcome to say about your experiences but don't make it sounds like I am lying or making false statements....

FiChai

I believe nobody tries to lie here and all of us are just sharing our experience and pov, no worries.
Whether you "should" work with a realtor or not is really up to your own believe, no matter you're a seller or buyer, there is no absolute right or wrong thingy.

Yes, realtors have very straight working ethics that they supposed to follow. But bad apples are out there. There are realtors got fined or suspended each year, not to mention how many did bad things but didn't get caught. Double-ended realtor (work for the seller and buyer in the same deal) bears even more liability, in fact there is more conflict of interest that the full commission (instead of sharing between the seller's agent and buyer's agent) is so tempting for the only agent to carry out the needed ethics perfectly. So, why not work with your own realtor as you are a buyer, since you don't need to pay him/her but the seller (most cases)?