LA - Listing Agent
These are the Ordinary Agents you call when you see a sign in a yard of a home for sale, or when you call about an ad you see in the newspaper, or when you walk into an open house on Sunday afternoon. These Agents are obligated to get the best price for the seller. These Agents become "Dual Agents" if they represent a buyer on the sale of one of their company's listings.

DA - Dual Agent
Does the real estate agent (or the firm he/she works with) have any properties that are listed for sale?

If the answer to that question is "YES", Watch Out! Never use a dual agent! Dual Agency is a form of bait and switch. You hire a buyer's agent and that agent becomes a dual agent for "in-house" listings. As a dual agent, they can not be an advocate for you! They can not negotiate for you! They can not suggest an offering price. They can not point out potential defects or problems. They can not provide you with information about the seller, such as motivation for selling, price they paid for the home, or how long or how many times the property has been on the market.

DA - Designated Agent
When a firm has an "in-house" dual agency problem, one agent is designated to represent you while another agent in the same firm is "designated" to represent the seller. You are still at great financial risk! Keep in mind that your confidential information can leak easily within an office as both agents share the same office, the same fax machine and the same water cooler. In addition, in many offices there are financial incentives for the agents to keep the transaction in-house. And the Managing Broker of the office, the one who appoints the "designated" agents and theoretically has the most knowledge, expertise and experience, is still by law a Dual Agent who can no longer advise his Designated Agents. Beware - Dual Agency is the "Wolf" while Designated Agency is the "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing!"

BA - Buyer's Agent
Everyone now wants to call themselves a "Buyer's Agent". Buyer's Agents that work in a regular real estate office which takes listings can indeed represent a buyer, but if that buyer wants to see a home listed by the same company, then the buyer's agent becomes a dual agent representing both the buyer and the seller. How can someone fully represent two opposing parties at the same time? THEY CAN'T!

EBA - Exclusive Buyer's Agent
This Agent works for a real estate company which never takes any listings, rather, chooses to represent BUYERS ONLY - 100% of the Time with never a risk of becoming a dual agent! This is our preferred choice, as we offer you 100% Representation - 100% of the Time.