What does an NVM buying agent actually do?

An agent on your side of the table

A buying agent represents the buyer's interest. That is the difference with the agent selling the property: that agent works for the seller and wants the highest price. We sit on your side of the table and look at what the home is worth and what a sensible offer is.

We look for homes that match your wishes and budget, come with you to viewings and assess the condition of the property critically. Not only what looks attractive, but also what can become a problem later: damp, cracks, a roof that is due for replacement.

At All In Makelaardij one dedicated NVM agent handles your entire purchase. So you speak to the same person on the phone, at the viewing and at the notary. We are a member of the NVM, the largest association of estate agents in the Netherlands, and have access to the NVM exchange system in which agents share property information with each other.

From valuation to offer

After a viewing comes the valuation: a substantiated estimate of what the home is realistically worth. We compare it with recently sold homes in the area and take into account the condition of the house and how busy the market is.

On that basis we decide on a bidding strategy together. What do you offer, under which conditions, and where is your limit? We then conduct the negotiation with the selling agent. Much of the value of a buying agent sits precisely in the bidding and the negotiation. Looking around you can do yourself; judging how much room there is in an asking price is harder.

We also think through the conditions in your offer, such as a financing clause or a building survey. Those are conditions precedent: clauses that let you cancel the purchase free of charge within an agreed period if the financing or the structural condition disappoints.

After the agreement: right through to the keys

Once your offer is accepted, the second part of the process starts. We check the purchase agreement, watch the conditions precedent and the deadlines, and explain what you are signing. Then come the building survey, the final inspection and the transfer at the notary.

What we do in this part of the process:

• Checking and explaining the purchase agreement, including the statutory cooling-off period
• Making sure the right conditions precedent and deadlines are included
• Referring you to a valuer, building surveyor or mortgage adviser
• Doing the final inspection with you, just before the transfer
• Coming to the notary for the signing of the deed and the handover of the keys

What it costs and what is not included

At All In Makelaardij you pay a fixed amount of €2,499 for the entire process, whatever the purchase price. No commission that moves with the price of the home, no separate charges for extra viewings or negotiations. Commission is a percentage of the purchase price; a buying agent who works that way earns more as you pay more. With a fixed fee that interest does not exist.

You only pay if you actually buy a home. If you buy nothing, you pay nothing. Settlement runs through the notarial deed, so you pay nothing up front.

All-in refers to our agent's fee, not to the total buyer's costs. Transfer tax, notary fees, a valuation report, a building survey and mortgage advice are paid separately to those parties. We refer you to them, but we do not carry out that work ourselves.