Asking your agent to pull comps?

[Megan Greathouse]

Hi, all. I have a quick question about asking my agent to pull comps. I am currently working with an agent on building up a portfolio of buy and hold properties. We just closed on one deal last Tuesday, and I'm looking to buy another within 6 months, so I like to think I'll be a good client for him.

At the same time, I'm looking to potentially do a couple of small fix and flip deals, hopefully with cash and without using an agent to do the searching or negotiating. The one thing I could use help on is getting some solid comps in the areas for these two properties.

My question is this... is it legit to ask my agent to pull those comps for me, even though they aren't the deals that I'll be working with him on? Should I offer him some sort of fee for pulling the comps, and if so, how much? Anything else I should be thinking about??

I have a good relationship with my agent, and I want to be respectful of his time. I'm a newer investor, so I really appreciate your thoughts and input to steer me down the right path!

[Russell Brazil]

You should use your agent to list the property. That is standard operating procedure in many markets, if they are helping you do the research on arv, advising you on the rehab finishes etc, they list the property on the back end. Also standard in many places is that you list with the agent who you purchase the property through if you used one.