Poor Terry unfortunately never met her real agent, the broker of the firm. Katy was not her agent but really an agent of the firm, an associate licensee. The buyer broker agreement was between Terry and the firm. But this firm was already the agent of their sellers, already a guarantee of less than exclusive representation. As an agent of the firm Katy has the fiduciary duty to the firm and its sellers to show their listings first. Most listing agencies who enter into buyer broker agreements do so from a compromised position to start with because of their existing promises to their sellers. This is unfortunately the case with most associates of listing agencies. Too many are not making it clear who the agent really is allowing the buyer to think that individual to be their "agent". This leads to much buyer confusion. There are a growing number of offices nationwide that offer exclusive buyer agency and do not represent any sellers. A buyer-broker agreement with an Exclusive Buyer's Office, EBO, guarantee true agency representation where the needs of the buyer are put before that of the firm. Find NAEBA, the National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents for a list of these firms and their associates. Ray Anderson Buyer's Advantage Real Estate Auburn, CA

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