Buying A Home? Avoid This Huge Mistake
Better agent hires mean better homebuying experiences
Watch This Newsletter On YouTube 📺
What’s On My Mind This Week: Homebuyer Remorse Is On The Rise
In my latest Tracy Talks Real video, I concluded my series Hire Buyer Pants On Fire - Exposing Lies, Myths & Misconceptions That Lead To Bad Agent Hires. My latest video provides the antidote to agent lies, myths & misconceptions.
That antidote is better vetting of agents on the front end. 🏡💪
The Truth Nobody Tells You About Buying A Home
Here’s the truth nobody tells you when you’re buying a home — It’s not the house that leads to regret. It’s the people you let guide you there. Most buyers assume they'll use an agent to buy their home -- and they should. But then what?
Many jump into that agent relationship without a strategy. No vetting. No planning. Just hoping they'll click. This is how otherwise smart, capable homebuyers wind up with buyer's remorse because every decision they make cascades into multiple other decisions.
How Most Buyers Pick An Agent
So let's talk about how most homebuyers end up with an agent. It's the #1 reason smart, capable buyers end up with buyer's remorse. They discover too late that their agent wasn't a strategist ... just a door opener.
Why does this happen? Because nobody teaches home buyers how to hire an agent. They trust who their friend used, or the one who called them first or the one with the most reviews. And it feels like the least important decision -- until it's the most important.
And when you skip the step of really vetting your agent, you're not choosing an agent. You're just hoping the one who showed up is the right fit.
But more likely than not, what you get is buyer remorse. You will look back and realize you missed red flags. Maybe you'll realize your agent wasn't putting you first or maybe was providing advice that wasn't specifically tailored to you and your unique circumstances. That one agent decision - the first domino - knocks everything else out of alignment - negotiations, inspections, re-negotiations, financing, timing, everything!
Why Does Nobody Teach Consumers How To Pick An Agent?
How come nobody teaches buyers how to hire an agent? Most people with any knowledge of how buyer agents work are buyer agents, and they want you to hire them. Why would they encourage you to ask questions and interview multiple agents? They wouldn't, but I don't think like other agents due in huge part due to my background protecting consumers in class action litigation.
My entire ethos is dedicated to protecting and advocating for consumers. As a former consumer fraud attorney turned real estate broker, I saw a big hole in the buyer education space, especially after commission reform lawsuits last year, and I took action to step in and fill it.
Do I think I'm some kind of super hero for doing this? Not exactly but my skill set is rare and I set out to use it to provide a valuable service to homebuyers.
I saw that most buyers don't vet their agents, likely because of the old perception that buyers didn't pay for their agents. That perception was never true, but comes into even stricter focus now with the emphasis on buyer-broker agreements signed early in the process.
The Dangers Of Dual Agency
I also saw confused buyers turning to listing agents and their teams to represent them, because they didn't know how else to get help under the new rules. Again, my consumer fraud background leads me to HATE dual agency for consumers and therefore homebuyers. I could not stand by and not do my part to help homebuyers better understand how to access great agents in a sea of often not so great agents.
Enter Buyer Agent Game Plan™
Buyer Agent Game Plan™ was born in very early 2025 and has since grown into the Home Buyer Success Series™, along with Home Buyer Prep Plan™, Agency Agreement Decoder™ and Agent Accountability Playbook™.
The entire series is designed for today's homebuyers to help them optimize for their highest and best homebuying outcome, that is, buying homes for the price and terms they want, guided by skilled negotiators.
I created Buyer Agent Game Plan™ because I 100% believe that your agent choice can absolutely make or break the success of your purchase. There are no returns on that home once you close. You will want to get it right.
Smart buyers don't wing it. They interview. They ask hard questions. They evaluate unemotionally. They know the agent they hire can either protect their investment ... or walk them into a trap.
In Buyer Agent Game Plan™, you'll learn
what type of agent makes the most sense for your specific situation
who pays for your agent and a strategy for shifting the out of pocket cost to the seller
the roles Zillow and discounted brokers can play in home buying
why having your personal ducks in a row before picking an agent matters
what questions to ask to uncover undesirable agent attributes, including commission bias
a ridiculously simple strategy for conducting multiple interviews
and a framework for comparing multiple agent candidates "apples to apples"
I also offer a corollary service called Find Me Agents to provide qualified agents in your local area for you to interview.
Buyer Agent Game Plan™ helps you buy your next home with confidence, knowing you have the right agent in your corner giving you smart advice on a topic you will seldom encounter in your lifetime - the purchase of a huge asset.
If you're getting ready to buy, and you want your agent decision to work for you, not against you, grab my Buyer Agent Game Plan™. It's the step-by-step blueprint I created so buyers like you don't have to guess, gamble or make big mistakes.
Smart buyers don't wait until it's too late -- they hire with a game plan because the best way to avoid buyer remorse is to spot the traps before you step in one.
Final Thoughts
If you want to see how much damage the wrong agent can cause, watch my recent video, Industry Insider Exposes 5 Real Estate Agent Lies. Spoiler alert! You'll find a few of my thoughts on dual agency in that video, too!
This week’s video is not to be missed if you are getting ready to buy a home.
Watch this week's Tracy Talks Video here.
Related to this article:
Introducing Buyer Agent Game Plan™
The new homebuying rules call for new strategies to pick the right agent to help you bring about your happy homebuying outcome.
My game plan blueprint describes exactly where to find good agents to interview and how to conduct multiple interviews efficiently. The program teaches you how to evaluate interview responses “apples to apples” and how to hire without burning bridges.
All of this translates to buyers hiring the right agent best-suited to their specific needs, resulting in happier homebuying experiences. Most educational content on this topic has been created by agents who want you to hire them to represent you, resulting in certain biases in the information presented. I developed this course for you, not me. I urge homebuyers to take advantage of my long career, love of buyers and consumer-forward focus to learn about finding, vetting and hiring great agents.
Don’t end up being one of those bitter people venting your frustrations on social media later because you recklessly signed on with the wrong agent and didn't course correct. Knowledge is power and this knowledge-heavy program was designed with buyers in mind by me, a longtime broker and consumer-focused attorney. Avoid the biggest homebuyer mistake of all time — hiring the wrong agent.
More at buyeragentgameplan.com. Buy your next home with confidence!
Fast Start Guide: Getting Started Under The New Homebuying Rules
I’ve been watching the commission reform lawsuits closely since the beginning. One year later, I’ve summarized everything you need to know to get started if you’re buying a home in the post-lawsuit era. Find this fast start guide in my Learning Center.
I’m also busy putting the final touches on my forthcoming book - The Secret Handshake (Play The Home Buyer & Home Seller Game Smarter). This has been an exciting project.
I find myself increasingly obsessed with helping consumers understand residential real estate on a deeper level and how to make more lucrative choices, including how to find, hire and vet agents. Join me on this journey? Hop over to the Learning Center and click the follow button under my bio. You’ll be notified when new offerings are added to the Center.
Do You Need Help Finding Agents?
Whether you are in my backyard here in Los Angeles or someplace farther away, I am available to help you find agents to interview. There is a nominal fee for this service, but I will find and vet three agents for you to interview in your local market, as well as provide a list of interview questions and my proprietary strategy for interviewing and comparing multiple agents with ease.
Complimentary Home Buyer Resources
Please enjoy these resources:
Ignore These 5 Things On A Home Tour - Don't let cosmetic bells and whistles distract you from things you cannot change about a property.
Buying In A Low-Inventory Market - Buyers have to be very strategic and ready to go when competing with other buyers in a seller's market. Don't miss these tips!
Don't Fall Prey To Wire Fraud - wire fraud is real. Be ready to recognize it and know your best practices to avoid it.
Follow Local Trends - Long time readers know I like me some trends! 🤓 This resource explains how market trends impact your home buying and home selling choices and strategies.
Benefits Of A Buyer CMA - Wondering how much to offer when buying a home or how much to list for when selling a home? Learn about Comparative Market Analyses (“CMAs”). They aren't just for sellers!
Unsubscribe?
If I missed the mark for you this week, I hope you'll give me one more shot, but if that won't work for you, here is an unsubscribe link.
Share My Work?
If you liked my column this week, please share with others so we can grow our community and I can get more feedback on what people want to read. Use this link to refer others. And just to make it fun, there are referral rewards. Let’s grow a community!
Do You Know About My Office Hours?
I offer Office Hours as a low-key way to get your real estate questions answered without a lot of scheduling and commitment. Twice a week, I hang out on Zoom and am available to answer your real estate questions. Click on tracyonzoom.com during the designated hours and you will land in our waiting room. Tracy will bring you in when the person ahead of you is done. Everything is private. Here are your next opportunities to join Tracy for Office Hours:
Thursday, August 14, 2025 from 10 am to noon PT
Sunday, August 17, 2025 from 10 am to 1 pm PT
Thursday, August 21, 2025 from 10 am to noon PT
Sunday, August 24, 2025 from 10 am to 1 pm PT
Alternatively, private 1:1 conversations can be scheduled here.
Find Me Around The Web
Let’s make sure we’re connected in the places you like to hang out. Here’s where you can find me and what I post on those platforms:
Have We Met? Read my bio
My YouTube Channels - TracyTalksReal & TracyTalksRealLOCAL
My Beach Cities LA Real Estate Company - search for homes, save listings, meet the team
Twitter - mostly housing politics commentary
LinkedIn - real estate news & insights
Facebook - local real estate news & insights
Instagram - local real estate news & insights
Digital Office Hours - I hang out and you come ask questions 😊
Schedule a 1:1 meeting for Zoom or IRL
Content Authenticity Statement
99.9% of this week’s newsletter was generated by me, Tracy Thrower Conyers. AI created my nifty rule book image. 😊
Legal Stuff
You are not my client unless we have a written agreement in place. This newsletter is offered for informational and/or entertainment purposes only. Neither I nor Silicon Beach Properties nor eXp Realty, Inc. is responsible for the consequences of how you implement the content of this publication and nothing herein is intended to address your specific situation. Additionally, the information contained herein may be outdated (legally and/or factually) by the time you consume this content, so consult a professional licensed in your jurisdiction for advice.
My CalDRE license number is 01712960. Silicon Beach Properties is my real estate DBA brokered by eXp Realty of California, as am I.
Advertisements in this newsletter have paid to be promoted and, as a result, I receive direct financial compensation for promoting them. Sometimes I promote people, places and things strictly to show support without compensation. Ask me if you have questions.
My real estate company, Silicon Beach Properties, and I maintain partnerships and affiliate relationships with other companies. Look for asterisks** to signify such a relationship. Assume we are compensated, but that won’t always be the case.
Did A Smart Friend Forward This Newsletter To You?
Until Next Week…
Be well and use this link to refer others to The Tracy Talks. Let’s grow a community!
