Extract from Wikipedia.org on the subject of buying agents.
The main advantages of using a buying agent are the savings in time and money and access to properties not available on the open market.
Whilst nearly all charge a registration fee (anything between £500 and £2500) and a percentage of the purchase price of the property (usually between 1.5% and 2% of the sale price)[3], the agent’s negotiating skills and access to properties before they reach the open market often mean that clients purchase properties for substantially less than they would if they went to estate agents or vendors directly.
Buying agents will preview properties for each client, shortlist the most suitable, and usually accompany clients on viewings of the shortlisted properties. Many offer services such as helicopter viewings and chauffers for high-end clients. Most Buying Agents specialise in a particular location: a large part of their expertise is derived from local knowledge, personal contacts with local estate agents, and inside-information about properties that are not yet on the open market.
Buying Agents generally form lasting symbiotic relationships with estate agents, ensuring estate agents have access to a steady supply of qualified, serious buyers and in return, buying agents receive access to the most desirable properties before they reach the open market. Situations can arise where Buying Agents and Estate Agents 'wrap-up' areas, dealing so regularly with each other that 'normal' buyers are excluded from the market.
Agency sizes vary from the one-man-band with an encyclopaedic knowledge of their chosen village or town (there can be huge variations in the level of service) to the mid-size, which specialise in one or two popular locations such as London and Devon, to the nationwide ‘chain’ services. Some estate agents also offer successful buying services despite reservations over conflict of interest.
