I am a Realtor…I’ve read a lot of the reviews, because I represent a buyer who asked me about Ryan Homes, so I’m doing the research for them. I agree with the very first review, to absolutely ALWAYS ’employ’ a Buyer’s Agent (Realtor) when entering the home-buying process. She said it doesn’t cost you anything. It doesn’t, USUALLY! But in this case (Ryan Homes purchase) it would.
In PA, we use a Buyer’s Agency Contract, which explains our (Realtor/Broker) obligation to you, and yours to us. Always enter into this contract with a Realtor you trust to truly represent your best interests. In PA , it is customary for the seller to pay the commission, so in 99% of my buyer’s transactions they (the buyers) do not pay the 3% commission to their Realtor’s Broker. This contract is Bi-lateral, and is what binds the Realtor and client by way of loyalty and commitment, since there is no monetary pre-paid to the Realtor (we work first, and don’t get paid until we settle on your home). In this contract the buyer understands that if they choose to buy a house for which the Seller does not agree to pay a commission, then it is the buyer’s responsibility to pay their Realtor for all their hard work (and believe me, it is hard work).
However, I never want to ask my buyers to cover a commission that in 99% of home sales in our state, the seller pays. WELL, Ryan Homes does NOT pay a commission. Why not? It seems to indicate that they do not want you, the buyer, to have the benefit of having your own realtor to advocate for you as the buyer. THIS IS A RED FLAG from the get-go! Consequently, there is no incentive for ANY Realtor to WANT to work with this builder, leaving desperate, unrepresented buyers to ‘go it alone’ and deal with a company that lures buyers into transactions with their OWN terms in mind, NOT necessarily in the best interest of the Buyer, though they will try to tell you differently.
Please fully research ANY builder who offers ‘Pre-Launch Incentives’ and be very wary of the promises being made, especially if there is no built model to look at IN PERSON. Virtual sales are hooks. If you sign up during the launch, you are put in ‘Queue’, and the day after the launch is over, and you have your first in-person meeting, you are expected to sign and pay that day, or walk away. The rep I spoke to literally told me buyers cannot think about it overnight. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. As always in the Real Estate Business, ‘Caveat Emptor’ or ‘Let the Buyer Beware!’
- Kathy Mellinger
