Yeesh...I leave for a day and look what happens!
Again, excellent topic here and some of the quality of the content here is excellent - really goes to show the quality of the reader that BuzzBuzzHome attracts.
Brian - I agree with MOST of your points as to what a buyer agent should do. Your tweet earlier today of "I am not anti-realtor, I am just pro good realtor" hit the nail on the head. A Real Estate Professional should be able to equip you with all information that pertains to the real estate side of the purchase such as: what can effect value (views, future views, garbage chute, elevator, more recently the superstitious numbers etc.etc.), we should be able to give you an idea of how well priced a development is, we should understand your NEEDS for the purchase (investment? end user? do you need to be close to transportation etc.etc.) and then use our expertise to suggest the right developments for the clients.
The more and more I get into pre-construction, the less and less time I have for resale because it takes time to understand the entire picture for pre-construction developments. It's easy for resale agents to look at just one development and recommend/not recommend it, but few agents can have a full blown discussion about many different pre-construction projects in depth. I do believe that pre-construction requires specialization in order to achieve success.
Where I do not agree with Brian is when it comes to the agent understanding the legalize of documents. Yes, I have a very good grasp of the documents, but I cannot substitute a good lawyer. If there is something in there that I *think* understand, that isn't enough for the client. If I tell my client I *believe* this is what that means, that's not acceptable. During the 10 day cooling off period, myself, the client and the lawyer have excellent back and forth collaboration (either by e-mail, phone or in person) regarding what they need to be aware of. I know what fees are acceptable and what are not, however, I am not always the first to know about these changes. My lawyer is, and I rely on him for that information. It is important to have a good team around you.
Many of my clients do purchase for investments and ask me for tax advice. Should I be giving that advice to my clients? 100% not. I am not a tax advisor, it is not part of my job description. If you really want, I can tell you stories about the taxes from my experiences but I make no representations or warranties that it will be the same for you. I do not know the changes in tax laws and there is not enough hours in the day for me to keep on top of that. However, I have an excellent tax consultant on my team that is happy to help.
Ultimately, I think what Brian is getting at is that there is a skill involved with what we do. I do not consider myself an "order taker", and build excellent relationships with my clients - I can point to my high percentage of repeat and referral business as an indicator of the work I do. I work extremely hard at my craft, and there are a number of agents on this very forum that are excellent at what they do. Mark Savel knows I am a huge fan of his work and dedication, Andrew LaFleur, Erica & Joy (Condo Chicks) have bucket loads of amazing knowledge that separates us from the agents who aren't willing to put in the time.
Sorry for the ramble...it's been a long day and my head hurts!!!