In California licensed agents can serve as dual agents. However, you have to know that the listing agent's fiduciary responsibility is to the seller and not to the buyer. I don't believe it would be advantageous for you to use the bank's listing agent for your purchase.

Happy househunting!

When you use the listing agent as your agent, the agent is acting in a dual capacity and cannot give you advice as to price, offer or any other strategy as the agent must also represent the seller. Some REO agents handle well over 100 properties at a time and my guess is it would be nearly impossible to give you the quality of service that you would want to complete the transaction.

Greetings,
The short answer is NO. I get the following canned email message 4 - 6 times a week.
"Dear Ms. Wright, I am interested in your listing at 123 main st. As you are the listing agent I would rather go through you than my buyer's agent. Please send me photos and comps for the property. Sincerely, Investor"

After a while it gets really old and I wish I knew which seminar those people paid for :-(

Your competitive advantage is going to be your Best, Highest and Final offer to purchase! An REO Agent more than likely is accustomed to getting both sides of a transaction, no huge whoop. What you want to do is have your financing in order, deliver your proof of funds statement and have earnest money in the form of Certified Funds.

For a stronger advantage go ahead and get inside and under the house to see if there are any deal breakers that you can see with your naked eye. Have a contractor lined up for the day you receive notice of the seller's acceptance of your bid to do a home inspection.

Make sure your lender can do the loan...nothing sucks more than a property having to go back on the market because the financing fell through. Be sure that the condition of the home will qualify for your lender's guidelines (everybody's guidelines are different).

If you want the house, buy the house...the listing agent deep down doesn't care who buys it as long as it gets off the books! If you want more tips on what it takes to be competitive in this market just drop me a line at info@FultonCountyREO.com.

Good Luck,