When buying a home, should you contact your Realtor to arrange a viewing or just contact the owners and/or their Realtor?
In most cases, if you’re already working with a Realtor, it’s best to have your Realtor arrange the viewing.
Here’s why:
Your Realtor represents your interests, not the seller’s. They can coordinate showings, answer questions about the property, point out potential concerns, and help you evaluate whether the home is priced appropriately for the market.
While you can contact the owner or listing agent directly, remember that the listing agent’s primary responsibility is to the seller. Their goal is to help the seller get the best possible terms, whereas your Realtor is there to help you make an informed buying decision.
Another practical reason to go through your Realtor is that it keeps communication organized. If you start contacting listing agents directly while also working with your own agent, it can create confusion about representation and commission arrangements.
That said, if you haven’t chosen a Realtor yet, contacting the listing agent to schedule an initial viewing is perfectly reasonable. Just be aware that they may not be acting as your advocate during the process.
My advice: if you’ve already committed to a Realtor, let them handle the scheduling. Home buying involves much more than opening the front door—it’s about having someone in your corner from the first showing to the closing table.