BloodhoundBlog and Dual Agency

Many thanks to Greg Swann at the BloodhoundBlog, the go-to site for real estate agents across the country. 

I've read their articles for a long time and believe me when I say that when he shouted out my article Why You Need Real Estate Agents and Why You Don't Trust Them for their Odysseus Medal this week, it was a great compliment. 

You only need to read the thoughtful analysis in articles like Buyer's and Seller's Informed Consent to Limited Dual Representation to see what I mean.  One of the reasons behind their success is being able to take a tactical issue for their own practice and turn it into debatable discussion topics for the rest of the country.

Simply put, dual agency occurs when one agent represents both sides in a transaction, or when two agents working for the same broker each represent one side.  Greg's not a fan of it, partly because it raises behavioral dilemmas for agents.

While I would advise my clients against dual agency even on properties I represent, a Devil's Advocate argument is that it's possible for a consumer to test dual agents and consider what is adequate compensation for giving up the right to having their own advocate.  Is your real estate agent a double agent?