What is an Exclusive Buyers Agent?
An Exclusive Buyers Agent is an agent who always represents buyers, and never lists property for sale or provides any service to sellers. True EBAs work for companies that specialize in buyer representation. Turning Point Buyers Realty is the only such company in our market area.

How does an EBA differ from a traditional real estate agent?
Traditional real estate agents normally represent the seller. Many now also act as buyer agents. Those who work in larger firms often use a designated agency format whereby they change sides client to client or even property to property. This can lead to confusion and conflicts of interest.

Why shouldn’t I just work with the agent who sold my house?
That agent usually represents property sellers rather than buyers. Will they show you everything on the market or just their personal listings? If you like one of their listings or that of someone else in their company, who will have your best interests at heart? With Turning Point you never have to worry about conflicts of interest. We only represent you, the buyer.

Is Turning Point a not-for-profit agency?
No. We’re professional buyer advocates and are paid for our work.

How do you get paid?
In almost all cases the amount we’re paid is predetermined and negotiated by the listing agent with the seller at the time the property is placed on the market. The only exception is if the property is For Sale By Owner (FSBO). In that case we ask the seller if they’re willing to pay a fee to whomever brings a buyer.

There are no up-front fees, retainers or hourly minimums. If you buy a property we are paid a percentage of the purchase price as a commission. In all these years we’ve only had one transaction where this was paid by a client. In that situation we built the commission into the purchase price of the property.

Are you REALTORS?
Yes, we’re all real estate professionals licensed by the state of Michigan and members of the National Association of Realtors (which owns the rights to the trade name REALTOR). We have the legal ability to do anything and everything that traditional REALTORS do, but we choose to represent only buyers.

Do I need to be pre-approved for a mortgage?
Yes. Being pre-approved helps identify the price range in which you should be looking. It also carries a lot of weight in the purchase process. If two similar offers are presented on the same property and one buyer is pre-approved, guess whose offer will be accepted? Being pre-approved is simple, easy and there’s no cost.

Do I need a 10% down payment to buy a house?
No. There’s no set amount of a down payment. We’ve conducted many transactions with nothing or very little down. The mortgage broker we recommend (Rick Veldman at First Horizon Home Loans or call toll-free 1-800-822-7122) is excellent at creating a loan program that meets each buyer’s needs.

Will I be able to see everything on the market?
Yes. Since we represent people, not property, we have no vested interest in any listing. We’ll show you properties on the Multiple Listing Services and those that are for sale by owner. It’s up to you to decide which one is right for you.

Can you email me new listings?
Yes. We can set up an automatic search that will notify you of all new properties meeting your criteria that are entered into the MLS as they occur on a daily basis. You can also set up and save your own searches through our search function.

Where is your office?
Our agents each work out of their homes in the communities they represent and will meet you wherever is mutually convenient.

How long have you been involved in real estate?
We have more than 30 years of combined real estate experience with 13 years as company owners. Turning Point Buyers Realty has served the Grand Rapids and Lakeshore markets since 2001. Prior to that we worked in the Grand Rapids area as JSR Group.

Do you handle relocations?
Yes, many of our clients come from other areas and states. We provide, upon request, a complimentary Relocation Packet which includes information on local attractions, events, temporary housing, schools systems, taxes, and other things necessary to assure that you gain a good understanding of the West Michigan community in which you have an interest.