Finding a great agent is the key. We found one that assisted us even though we had someone else and he didn't get any benefit from us buying in the Villages. A few months later we had our in-laws use him and they loved him.

Call Genie Muldoon Realty
Not part of the Villages Realtors. The best. she Got us the perfect home. No bond. On 1/3 acre. 352 816 8765

This is not true.
Ask your realtor who they are working for. If the did not list the house they will always be working for the buyer. This is the same for a MLS agent or VLS agent.
If it’s a new Village home, the home price is set by the developer.

Wrong again.
Just call a VLS agent and ask them. I’ve bought 2 homes in the last year and the VLS agent worked hard for me to close the deals. I also looked at homes with a MLS agent and he worked hard for me but in the end the homes I bought happen to be from the VLS.
VLS does not split commission with MLS.

On a side note. The MLS agent was very nice and worked hard but he didn’t really know how the Villages worked. He only sold a couple homes here didn’t have the info on how to get id,s or what the fee’s cover. Again very nice guy but but just not his market.
The VLS sales went like clockwork, no surprises.

I believe it is you who are mistaken. If the home is a VLS listed home, ALL of the VLS agents are working for the seller.

Your particular agent may be relaying your offers to the buyer, obviously doing what he or she can to facilitate the sale to you so he or she can make a commission, but, for example, if your agent happens to know that the seller would take 10K less than your offer, your agent is not required to let you in on that. Your agent will still be working to get the maximum for the seller, not the minimum for you. Similarly, if there is language in the contract that benefits the seller, "your" VLS agent is not required to explain this to you. If you want eyes on the contractual language looking out for your interests, you need to pay those eyes separately if you are buying via VLS.

If you have an MLS agent acting as a "buyer's" agent for you, on an MLS listing, then your "buyer's" agent will be looking at that contract and explaining issues to you, and giving you a chance to understand why that language is not in your favor, and thereby representing YOU.

Real Estate Agents and their loyalty
 

I know different states are different, but here in Florida at closing a typical buyer's agent's Broker gets paid by the seller's Broker and then funds are distributed to the actual Real Estate Agents themselves. The smoke and mirror part of it is for you to think they are working on your behalf, They are not and with the Villages salesforce, they really are not. Agent's want a fast smooth closing with no wrench in the gears, By that, I mean they want to pick or arrange your home inspector, They have their own list of guys that won't "kill the deal" so they say. They have closing agents and insurance agents Etc. that they prefer to arrange for you. It all seems nice, but more often than not, it is not in your best interest. If you are a home buyer here in Florida, just know it is exactly the same as buying a car, New or used, it does not matter, when the deal is done you are not going to feel like you just got a great deal.

#12 ... new construction? Doesn't sound quite right. Unless T V changed something it's 20% down and they can keep your $$ not $2500. First come first serve unless they still are doing sales as a lottery system, which I believe ended.

Did something change on new construction?

T V has their own WAY. You don't like it? Move on.

For new builds there is no negotiation. The price is the price and the terms are the term.

Dynamic is Changing
 

True, but the world here is changing and if they don’t it all comes to an end for them. You can’t completely cut the impact of pre existing sales from new. It will be interesting to see how they develop through the new market world of realtor change, internet information , lower price point and the construction tactic maze. I’m willing to bet you will see something new shortly.

Paradigms were made to be broken as Deming and his wheel have shown.

Buyers agent
 

[QUOTE=heartofthecountry;2304397]I know that while working with my regular multiple listing realtor, they will negotiate for me if I am interested in a house. But how does this work with a Villages sales agent? That is, do they only represent the sellers? How does a potential buyer negotiate if they all work for the sellers? Thank you[/QUOTE
Has been my experience, the sellers agent wants you to sign their contract ,have a photographer take pictures of your house and list your house on the
MLS . The sellers agent then can sit back and have you the seller do the all work getting the house ready for a showing and wait for a realtor to bring buyers to look at your house . If their client buys your house the buyers realtor and the listing agent split the commission from the sales proceeds .
Beware of lazy listing agents , sell it by owner . There is a housing shortage so demand is great and supply is not .
My realtor never brought in a potential buyer for me .
Buyers should not pay commission only sellers.

Correct! VLS salespeople work as an agent for the seller. There is buyers agent in a VLS transaction.

The realtor has a fiduciary responsibility to the seller not the buyer. They can put in whatever offer you make but unless you hire them as a buyers agent they are under contract to work for the seller.

Correct. But under Florida law, all licensed real estate agents have a fiduciary duty to treat both the buyer and the seller fairly. However, this is not the same as representing them as an agent. In most cases, the agent represents the seller.

The whole statute is too long to post here. It is comprehensive but written in clear and concise English, not "legalese", so easy to understand.

(1) BROKERAGE RELATIONSHIPS.—
(a) Authorized brokerage relationships.—A real estate licensee in this state may enter into a brokerage relationship as either a transaction broker or as a single agent with potential buyers and sellers. A real estate licensee may not operate as a disclosed or nondisclosed dual agent. As used in this section, the term “dual agent” means a broker who represents as a fiduciary both the prospective buyer and the prospective seller in a real estate transaction. This part does not prevent a licensee from changing from one brokerage relationship to the other as long as the buyer or the seller, or both, gives consent as required by subparagraph (3)(c)2. before the change and the appropriate disclosure of duties as provided in this part is made to the buyer or seller. This part does not require a customer to enter into a brokerage relationship with any real estate licensee.
(b) Presumption of transaction brokerage.—It shall be presumed that all licensees are operating as transaction brokers unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is established, in writing, with a customer.

From: Statutes & Constitution
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