Buyer representation
Formally trained and deeply experienced in buyer representation — which means working as your fiduciary: legally obliged to put your interests ahead of my own, and ahead of the seller’s. New York City, Long Island and Westchester.
The industry now requires a written buyer representation agreement before a buyer tours a home, and compensation is negotiated deal by deal rather than assumed. For most of the business that was a disruption. For me it was a rule catching up to how I had already been working for the better part of two decades.
I earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative credential years ago — a specialist training in representing the buyer’s side of a transaction rather than the seller’s — and took the coursework more than once because I wanted it to actually stick. I later earned the Certified Buyer Representative credential the same way, and put my own agents through that training when I was running a brokerage — because buyers were being underserved by an industry that treated representing them as an afterthought.
What that training is really about is one idea: that the person advising you on the largest purchase of your life should owe their loyalty to you. In legal terms that is a fiduciary duty — an obligation to put your interests first, keep what you tell me confidential, and disclose anything I know that bears on your decision. My buyer clients had a signed agreement, a defined scope of service, and someone whose duties ran to them, back when that was unusual rather than mandatory.
So when the rules changed, nothing about how I work with buyers had to change. What changed is that I no longer have to explain why I was asking for something no one else was.
I do more listing work than buyer work, and I’m straight about that. But today’s buyer is tomorrow’s seller — and a good number of my listings are properties I helped someone buy years earlier.
Someone who has sold in these neighborhoods since 2002 and can tell you what a block is really like, what a co-op board will really do, and which building has a special assessment coming that isn’t in the listing. Someone who will tell you not to buy something. And someone who understands the sale on the other end of this purchase, because that is most of what I do — which means the advice you get is about what this property does for you in five years, not just whether you can get it.
One more thing worth saying, since most buyers now start with an assistant rather than an agent: bring me what it told you. Here is where those answers hold up and where they don’t.
Queens and Nassau are where I know the individual blocks best — which building has a problem, which board is difficult, what a street is actually like at seven in the evening. That kind of knowledge takes years in one place, and it is worth asking any agent where they really have it.
Purchase price is the smallest part. Maintenance, taxes, assessments, insurance, and what a co-op board will require in post-closing liquidity. People get surprised at the wrong stage.
Not a soft pre-qualification. A real underwritten pre-approval, because in this market the offer without one is a conversation, not a bid.
I’ll send you fewer listings than a portal will and tell you why each one is on the list. I’ll also tell you when something you love is a mistake.
What has been selling above ask and by how much, what the seller’s situation appears to be, and where the leverage is.
Inspection, and for a co-op or condo the financials, minutes, and reserve position. This is where I earn it, and where a lot of buyers get let down.
A returned or rejected package costs months, so this is worth doing carefully. I’ll tell you what this particular board weighs, what routinely trips applicants up, and what a complete submission looks like — before it goes in rather than after.
Condos vs. co-ops in under five minutes
Recorded before the 2024 industry rule changes. The comparison itself is unaffected.
Should I buy a condo, a co-op, or a house?
Recorded before the 2024 industry rule changes. How buyers are represented and paid for has changed; the differences between condos, co-ops and houses have not.
How to search for real estate — what buyers should know
Recorded before the 2024 industry rule changes. Buyers now sign a written representation agreement before touring, and buy-side compensation is negotiated deal by deal — the rest of what I describe still holds.
I got a house at what I feel was a reasonable price, in a very difficult market, and it’s hard to imagine how things could have gone better. Looking back, the process went smoothly and the guidance was good, so that we were able to put forth that compelling offer and win — and we weren’t the highest bidder in a market where people were having bidding wars. The package that we put together was the correct one. … There were over 20 offers on this property when we bought it.
I never felt pressured that you just wanted to sell a place. I had gone through the pre-qualification process to understand how much money I could spend on a house — but I never felt pressured to spend up to that limit, and I didn’t. You listened to what I was actually looking for, even at a time that I wasn’t really sure of myself what I was looking for. I think you were able to tease out what the best solution for me was.
Despite the fact that I initially had concerns you were just focused on New York City, you did understand the valuation of Long Island, and were able to also help me to understand the valuation of Long Island, so I could put forth an offer that was reasonable and, at the end, successful.
My boyfriend and I interviewed several real estate agents in NYC and Diallo stood out due to his professionalism, real estate knowledge and courteous. Buying a property in NYC can be a daunting process especially after hearing horror stories from friends and family. Having Diallo as the real estate agent made this process a breeze. Contract to close was only 3 months on this deal.
Diallo is an excellent Realtor and guided me successfully through the home buying process as a now first-time homeowner. He was resourceful, answered my calls and kept me up to date and in the loop throughout the entire process.
Diallo Stevens helped us very much. We bought our first home through him. He helped us to get a loan, the house, and a lawyer. He told us what was happening and how it affected us. He met with my whole family several times. Diallo is professional and trustworthy.
The first thing that I’d like to articulate is my overall satisfaction with Diallo. He was extremely patient throughout the course of the purchase process and never gave the impression that anything was important except my comfort and piece of mind. Furthermore the litany of information I received around the process and real estate in general was a huge plus in this process. I would recommend Diallo without hesitation as he provides a flawless experience where in you receive the gold standard in service.
We appreciated Diallo’s patience with all our questions and emails, especially as we were putting together the long and complex co-op application.
Si usted desea tener éxito, contrate a Diallo y permítale guiarle a través de todo el proceso. Él es un excelente Agente de Bienes Raíces, y una gran persona!
I strongly recommend Diallo J. Stevens and his team. They are exceptional professionals. They will take excellent care of you, too!
Recorded on camera, not written down and edited by me.
Enkel & EdliraFirst-time homebuyers
Charrise & Hughan“We just bought a house”
Menard & Alicia S.Buyers
Homebuyer“Another happy homebuyer served”
My market site carries a free buyer’s guide and a running feed of what is actually happening to prices, rates and inventory. No obligation.
Call me before you start going to open houses. The first conversation saves the most time.
Area, type, budget and timing. I’ll tell you honestly whether what you want exists at that number right now.
Would you rather just talk? Call 929-400-7653.
