Twenty-five or thirty years ago, every real estate agent in a sale worked for the seller. Even the agent driving the buyers around. Buyers were on their own, and the rule of the day had a name: buyer beware. Some companies would like to bring that back. Here is the history, and why it matters when you buy.
Back then, the agent who showed buyers the houses was called a sub-agent. Their duty was to the seller. They could not lie about the property, but that was the whole obligation. They opened doors, helped fill out the offer form, and kept the dates on track.
It went further. If a buyer told that agent something useful, like how high they would really go, the agent was supposed to pass it to the seller. Buyers had to watch what they said in the car.
Then buyer representation changed the rules
Buyer representation gave buyers someone who works only for them. A buyer’s agent has a duty to advise and protect the buyer at every step: pricing, negotiation, inspections, deadlines, closing.
The push to go back
Now some companies want a version of the old days back. iBuyer companies say there is no need to meet an agent at all. Online-first models promise all the advice a buyer needs through a website or an app: how to make an offer, how to order an inspection, how to reach the listing agent, how to close.
What those buyers do not have is a person on their side. Nobody to help them write a strong offer, ask for repairs, or push back when something goes wrong. Once they are under contract, they depend on the listing agent, who works for the seller, to keep the paperwork in order.
Every experienced agent knows a sale has moments of drama. A title report turns up a surprise. An inspection finds something to negotiate. The final walk-through reveals a problem. Online instructions do not negotiate any of that for you.
What unrepresented buyers lose
Most buyers have already answered this question with their feet. In the NAR (National Association of Realtors) 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, covering sales from July 2024 through June 2025, 88 percent of buyers bought their home through an agent or broker, and for-sale-by-owner sales sat at a record low (NAR, November 2025). Buyers keep choosing representation even when the technology to go without it is a tap away.
A good buyer’s agent earns that choice before the offer is ever written. They listen to what you need, then search with their own knowledge of the homes and neighborhoods, not just the filters on a website. They know when a home is overpriced and say so.
They help you see past bad photos or a messy house to find a real bargain. They also help you spot trouble in a house that has been perfectly staged. And after the offer, they stay on top of every deadline, guiding and protecting you through closing, and they are still there after it.
You cannot say any of that about a website.
That push for honesty up front is the whole idea behind our verified listings approach: the disclosure work happens before the offer, where buyers can actually see it.
- Real Estate
