Q:  A real estate broker wants to represent our company exclusively, but we are nervous that we may not see all of the available properties if we limit ourselves to one broker.  It seems that we may have a better chance of finding the right space if we "play the field" with several brokers.  Is this the right approach? 

A:  You are right to be circumspect about signing an exclusive contract with one broker, but not for the reason you suspect. Virtually all experienced brokers will have access to every potential available property in the marketplace. Even properties controlled exclusively by other brokers will be available to your exclusive broker through co-brokerage. The best Tenant or Buyer Brokers will actually publish your requirements to the brokerage community soliciting submissions of properties for their client. Corporate America has fully embraced the concept of exclusive tenant and buyer representation. It is actually rare to find a major corporation that does not have an exclusive tenant or buyer broker. The advantages are many: The agent will have a fiduciary responsibility to you, not the landlord or seller; the use of one agent promotes objectivity in his evaluation of potential alternatives for you; and you will save considerable time dealing with only one agent.

Your concern is unfounded, if you have the right broker. This leads us to the major concern. The real reason to be careful in signing an exclusive agency agreement is that you do not want to saddle yourself with a broker that is either unwilling or incapable of providing the full palette of services that you require. You can avoid this problem if ... Click here for full article