Benefits of client* relationship with Spruce Mountain Buyer Broker

  • Exclusively a Buyer-Broker.
  • Exclusive client representation and confidentiality.
  • Member of State-wide MLS (Multiple Listing Service)
  • Unbiased overview of local real estate market and communities.
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement prepared in client’s best interest to get best price and terms.
  • Professional analysis of sales data and opinion of true property market value.
  • Typically costs nothing extra for client. With properties listed with another agency, commission is paid by the seller through co-brokering.
  • Unique expertise about land and natural resources

*According to Maine Real Estate law, a real estate buyer is a customer unless they sign a written agreement to be represented as a client.
What is a buyer agency?

In most transactions, the commission is borne by the Sellers and/or Selling agency. In some cases the Buyer pays the commission. In return the Buyer gets excellent service and value. The details of who pays the commission is clearly spelled out in a written agreement between the Buyer and the Broker.

Some agencies are dual agencies - the brokers within the agency can, by disclosure and agreement with their clients, represent either Buyers or Sellers. The dual agency can then have one broker in their firm represent the Sellers and another broker represent the Seller. Spruce Mountain Realty Buyer Broker is not a dual agency.

Most real estate brokers represent sellers in transactions. Their fiduciary responsibility is to the sellers, no matter how friendly they become with the buyers. Buyer agents represent the interests of their clients (the buyers) in all aspects of purchasing real estate. They typically co-broke with seller agencies and can represent buyers for properties that are not on the market or are "for sale by owner."

What is a transaction broker?

Spruce Mountain Realty Buyer Broker will, under certain unique conditions, work as a transaction agency. A transaction broker brings Buyers and Sellers together while favoring neither the Seller nor the Buyer. Both Buyers and Sellers are treated equally. The transaction broker also does not have fiduciary responsibility for either Buyers or Sellers.

What is conservation real estate?

There are many properties in Maine that have significant ecological, forestry, scenic, recreational, etc, values. These values can often be permanently protected by an owner while still enjoying personal use such as a home or business.

Because of the great success of local land trusts, there are increasingly more properties, such as historic farms and high value woodlands that will be sold in the coming years subject to conservation easements.

Spruce Mountain Realty Buyer Broker can locate special properties with easements that are currently on the market. Spruce Mountain Realty Buyer Broker can also work with buyers to locate important properties with no current protection and to develop with the Buyers a long term voluntary protection strategy, including conservation easements.

Buyers can either be private citizens, conservation land trusts or town/state agencies.
What is a conservation easement?

A conservation easement is a legal instrument that is used to permanently protect special and unique ecological, scenic, forestry, and other such qualities on a property, while allowing other uses.

Conservation easements can be used to prohibit some or all development (roads, houses, etc.) on specific properties. For example, a 200 acre property with unique ecological resources could allow building one personal residence on a less sensitive section of the property, while precluding all other development.

Conservation easements are voluntary and are tailor made for each property. The conservation easement is typically held ("owned") and managed by a local not-for-profit land trust.