How I Represent Buyers

Buying a home in Naples is one of the largest decisions you will make. I represent buyers with the care, diligence, and skill that decision deserves, and with your interests first, from the first conversation to the closing.

That means knowing this market and its communities in depth, being straight with you about what I see, and negotiating for your purchase as I would for my own. The rest of this page sets out how that works in practice.

How we start

It starts with a conversation, and there is no pressure in it. I want to know what you are looking for and when, how you plan to buy, and which places you are weighing: Naples, and anywhere else you are considering. I will answer your questions about the area, the process, and how I work. You are welcome to start talking with me well before you are ready to buy.

If you will finance, talk to a lender early. I know local lenders who give exceptional service, and I will introduce you if it helps. I am never paid for a referral; federal law bars a real estate agent from accepting a fee or anything of value for referring a buyer to a mortgage lender.

The buyer agreement

On August 17, 2024, nationwide changes to real estate industry practices governing residential real estate buyers and their representation by licensed real estate agents were mandated. Below are “must-know” facts for any potential buyer of Naples area real estate.

• All buyers must sign a legally binding Buyer Representation Agreement before touring homes with their chosen agent, though some agents or brokerages may require it prior to the initial consultation.
• The agreement is negotiable, covering the form of legal representation, services provided, compensation, duration, and more. If it expires without a purchase, it can be renewed, or buyers and agents can part ways amicably.
• Legal representation types include Single Agency (representing you with full fiduciary duties), Transaction Brokerage (neutral facilitator), and No Brokerage Relationship (limited services, no representation). Transaction Brokerage is the standard in the State of Florida.
• Agent compensation must be clearly defined and cannot be open-ended or tied to seller offers.
• In most cases, sellers offer to compensate the buyer’s agent, which may fully cover agent or brokerage services. Seller concessions, such as contributions toward closing costs, can also be negotiated.
• The agreement can be modified or terminated mutually, per its terms. Early termination may involve covering agreed-upon costs, such as consultation fees, depending on the agreement’s terms.
• Exclusive agreements tie you to one agent for any/all purchases during the agreement’s term, while limited agreements, applying to specific listings only, may suit certain buyers.
• Agents are prohibited from steering buyers based on commission amounts, ensuring unbiased property recommendations. If a conflict of interest arises, agents must disclose it promptly, follow ethical guidelines, and obtain your consent if dual representation is proposed.
• REALTORS® are ethically obligated to work in your best interest, guided by the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics and regardless of legal representation type.

For much more concerning buyer representation please be certain to read the chapter dedicated to it in the Naples Buyer’s Guide.

Finding the right place

Before you look at a single home, we narrow the field together: the part of Naples that suits how you want to live, the kind of community, the type of home, and a price range that buys what you actually want. Needs deserve a hard look. A need for three bedrooms might be met by two and a den, and a smaller home with a better floor plan can beat a bigger one.

The site does much of the early work. Its searches cover Naples communities and homes for sale, and each community page shows the community as a whole: its range of fees, its amenities, its drive times, and what homes there have sold for. When you are ready, I go deeper into what is available right now, including information only an agent can see, and I recommend specific communities and homes for you in For Your Consideration.

Touring and looking closely

Tours in Naples are by appointment, many need a day’s notice, and many communities are gated, so let me know your travel dates as soon as you have them. Seeing homes before you are ready to buy is welcome too; it is how many buyers settle what they really want.

If the right home comes on the market while you are away, I can see it for you and walk you through it on a video call. Some agents will not help a buyer purchase that way. I will, and everyone who has bought that way with me has been happy with it.

Making an offer

In Naples an offer is made on the purchase agreement itself: if the seller signs it unchanged, you are under contract. So every term is settled before anything is sent, including price, deposits, financing, inspection rights, and timing, and I go through each one with you before you sign. How my compensation will be paid, by the seller, by you, or by both, is settled then too, before the offer goes in.

I research the property and the seller’s position, including what only the MLS shows, and I give you my opinion whenever you want it. You always make the final call. Most buyers have me negotiate on their behalf. I have negotiated business agreements and real estate transactions worth more than $3.5 billion combined, and I enjoy it.

From contract to closing

Once you are under contract, the clock starts. I send you the key dates straight away (deposits, association applications, the end of the inspection period) and keep everything moving. You choose your inspectors; I can suggest ones I trust, and I am not paid for those referrals either. Behind the scenes I work with the title company, closing agent, or attorney to check the title and look for open permits.

Before closing I walk through the home with you, or for you if you are away. You can close in person or remotely; you do not need to be in Naples. And one warning I give everyone: before you wire any money, confirm the instructions by calling your closing agent on a number you already have, never one from an email.

Everyone else involved in your purchase

Depending on the agreement you negotiate and the decisions you make, other parties will be part of your purchase: a lender if you finance, a title company or attorney to close, an insurance agent, and inspectors. If you would like recommendations, ask me.

Why buyers choose me

Representing buyers is most of my work, not a sideline to listings. I hold the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation and the National Association of REALTORS® C2EX endorsement.

Before real estate, I spent almost twenty years in business in Manhattan and Boston, leading accounts and negotiating agreements for companies from startups to the Fortune 100. I bring that experience to every purchase.

And the depth of this site, community by community, is the depth I put into your search.

The buyers I have worked with say it better than I can. Please read their words on my testimonials page.

The next step

We can start by phone, text, or email, with no pressure. We will have a conversation about what you are looking for. And when you are ready, we can go over the buyer agreement together.

– Jeff