sylviatexas: "Representation & procuring cause aren't the same thing. Procuring cause is getting a buyer for a property or a property for a buyer. Representation is representing the client's best interests. HaHaHaHaHa. OF COURSE it isn't the same thing! That's the point that I was making, lol! It was you who was implying that the builder wouldn't let the buyer have representation when all along the issue was the builder wasn't going to pay the agent because the agent wasn't the procuring cause for the transaction. Nice spin. And speaking of spin..... sylviatexas: "If I started negotiating with a builder on my own & felt that I was in over my head & the builder told me I couldn't bring my Realtor, I'd look for another property." Let's change your example ever so slightly without altering the basic concept. Let's say instead of looking at a new house you're looking at a resale. Same circumstance except instead of dealing with a builder's sales office, you're dealing with the seller's listing agent. Okay, now let's get back to your example. You're negotiating with the listing agent on your own and feel that you're in over your head and want to bring in your own real estate agent to negotiate for you. Are you seriously suggesting that the listing agent should now allow the buyer to use his own agent and pay that agent half the commission? Hmmmmmm?? I didn't think so. And the reason why? Let's all say it again: Because the buyer's agent would not have been the procuring cause for the transaction. It is really not that difficult a concept.

It's my fault the thread's so confusing. I was researching "multiple offers" and then, when I went to ask my own question, I goofed and posted to the old thread. Now people are responding to OP and not reading through to find my goof. The bidding war was really only a short skirmish. We ask 495K. Couple No. 1 offers 450K. Against DH's better judgment--we have nice home across from a lake and DH thinks we should get close to asking--we counter 475K bc I keep hearing first offer is often best offer, buyer's mkt, etc etc. Then, as if to prove DH right, Couple No. 2 shows up like the cavalry, falls in love with house, promises "very attractive offer" but it's evening now and they're leaving town next morning and feel they can't write it up for a few days. That's when I post here. I read responses, chant "bird in hand, bird in hand" to DH. He hands me big glass of wine, tells me we are withdrawing 475K offer before Couple No. 1 accepts it. Couple No. 1 comes back next day with new offer of 490K and super tight response deadline. We tell Couple No. 2's agent what's going on. From airport on their way home Couple No. 2 calls, says they'll beat it. Couple No. 2 lands, drives directly from airport to our house, their agent meets them. While we huddle in br, they sit in our dining rm, write up cash offer of 496K, only contingency is structural inspection. Meanwhile Couple No. 1's agent is calling, asking what's going on. Finally, we call him back, say we're taking the 496K. He says Couple No. 1 might beat that; we say no thanks--we're content and find the back and forth draining. A better businessperson would have kept going, I suppose, but we'd gotten what we wanted and didn't want to tempt the fates any more than we already had. Now we're holding our breath till inspection is over with.

"The title company handled all the paperwork." Different states use title companies in different ways. In NH title companies handle settlements. You can bring your attorney if you want to. In VA settlements are conducted by attorneys. You can still bring YOUR tourney to represent you, but they are only an observer and are not running the closing.

You need an attorney, as you probably know. When selling, you could maybe do without, but when buying, you truly need an attorney to do a title search and a myriad other due diligence items.