realtors take a good investment first?

[Dal Bouey]

ok so im new here and about to buy my first rental prop. i was told find a realtor who can bring me good investment props and who also owns some of his own. but my question is,,,,why wouldnt my realtor buy the great deal for him self while in his search comes across the good ones? i mean if i were a realtor searching for great investment props and came across a great one there would b no harm in taking it for myself thats not unethical to buy some more of my own. so how does that work?
thanks for the advice!!

[Bill Gulley]

As mentioned, agents who work the buyer's side usually don't get involved in buying. Good listing agents may make offers or buy at the asking price before listing, but they can't buy them all.

Most agents seem to view thier work more as a job. Brokers build a sales force. While you will see a car dealer drive different cars or own a few in his garage, his business is selling them, not owning them.

There are wheeler-dealer agents, they are easy to find and unless an investor is pretty tight with one, investors usually avoid them. It's easy for a Realtor to be seen as a competitor if they collect properties.

And, most agents can't buy, they have a hard time qualifying on commission, they can get loaded up pretty quickly.

Bottom line, don't worry about it, IMO.