KNOW YOUR MARKET

Buyer's Agent in Philadelphia

What is a buyer’s agent?

As a buyer's agent, we guide you through the homebuying process — from house hunting to closing and anything in between. For more than 22 years, Jim Onesti has been one of the most successful real estate sales professionals in Philadelphia; focusing mainly on luxury homes and large-scale, high-end commercial developments.

A buyer's agent will help you understand the type of home you can afford in the current market, find listed homes that match your needs and price range, and then help you narrow the options to the properties worth considering. A buyer's agent will also dig up additional information on any listings you find and forward them their way. With access to the Multiple Listing Service, agents can see more information than you can use real estate websites and apps.

Why use a Buyer's Agent?

One of the most obvious reasons to hire a buyer’s agent when buying a house is that it’s free. There are very few circumstances where it costs money to hire a buyer’s agent. Whether you’re buying your first house or tenth, chances are you don’t physically look at houses on a daily basis.

A successful buyers agent is physically looking at dozens of houses each and every week. Each and every real estate market is different. Real estate markets can differ from town to town and even neighborhood to neighborhood. It’s extremely important when buying a house that you understand the local market.

Buyer’s Agent vs. Listing Agent vs. Realtor

Buyer’s agents represent home buyers and assist their clients through every step of the home-buying process, including navigating the housing market, finding the right home, negotiating an offer, recommending other professionals (e.g., mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, settlement companies), and troubleshooting problems (e.g., home inspection or appraisal issues).

A listing agent is a real estate agent who represents a home seller. These professionals help clients who are selling with a wide range of tasks, including pricing their home, recommending home improvements or staging, marketing their home on listing services, holding open houses, coordinating showings with home buyers, negotiating with buyers, and overseeing the home inspection process and closing procedures.

In the real estate industry, in order to become a Realtor—a licensed agent with the ability to use that widely respected title—an agent needs to be a member of the National Association of Realtors. As a member, a person subscribes to the standards of the association and its code of ethics.