What's the difference in a real estate consultant and a buyer's agent?

[Anonymous]

We have just started the process of buying our first home. We were introduced by friends to both a real estate consultant and a buyer's agent. Does it make a difference which one we choose to work with?

I have looked online and can't find any information on the differences, but it seems as though using the consultant, she will be paid for by us and not the seller of the house, is this true?

[Jazzzy]

I guess the 1st question I would ask is, if you work with a real estate consultant, are there still two brokers involved? If there are still two brokers involved (which it makes sense to me that there would be), then someone has to pay the consultant.

I've never worked with a real estate consultant, but I do know that the buyer's broker is supposed to be watching out for you...the buyer. I don't know what the duties of a consultant would be. Does this person help you find a place? Help you through financing? Help arrange inspections?

You need to ask a lot of questions and see what the duties are of each...and the cost...and who pays it.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

We have just started the process of buying our first home. We were introduced by friends to both a real estate consultant and a buyer's agent. Does it make a difference which one we choose to work with?

I have looked online and can't find any information on the differences, but it seems as though using the consultant, she will be paid for by us and not the seller of the house, is this true?

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Not sure what a real estate consultant is but you can ask them what are their charges and do they get paid just like a buyers agent.  Ususally a buyers agent gets paid one of three ways.  1. splitting the commission with the sellers agent 2. get a commission from the seller of a FSBO (for sale by owner) 3. You if a FSBO doesn't offer any but usually they will as to broaden their potential buyers.  Of course you could still have to pay something in the last two situations because if your contract calls for a 3% comm and the seller of the fsbo only offers 2% then unless your agent takes that as 100% payment, you would be responsible for the 1%