Buying a Home Comes with Straight Answers.
Two sides to every deal.
One side of the table: yours.
I’m Steve Reese. I know every paragraph of your contract, keep your opinions confidential, and tell you what worries me about it.
TRANSPARENCY
Know exactly what to expect, so you can buy with confidence.
You’re about to make the biggest purchase of your life with someone you just met. So here’s the plan, not a sales pitch.
How we find the house. How offers work. What you’ll hear from me, and when. What it costs, and who pays.
No surprises after you sign.
How buyer’s agents get paid
Here’s how it works.
Before we tour homes, you and I sign a Buyer Broker Service Agreement. It spells out what I do for you and what my fee is.
That agreement makes you responsible for my fee. I don’t stop there. I use my negotiation skills to maximize the chance that the seller covers it from their proceeds.
We talk through what you’d owe before you make an offer, so none of the fees surprise you at closing.
My VIP Homebuying Covenant puts both sides in writing: what I commit to, and what I ask of you.
What I ask of you:
Who’s in your corner
I don’t just show you houses. I represent you.
Representing a buyer is more than unlocking doors.
It means telling you the truth about a house you love. It means reading the whole contract instead of filling in blanks. It means your interests come before my commission.
When you hire me to buy a home, you’ll be served, not sold.
“When you hire me to be your buyer’s agent, I can answer your question with a paragraph instead of a sentence.”
Whether you’re buying a $100,000 home or a $1 million home, you get my full attention, extended availability, and honest advice. I’ll walk you through the whole process, because you should know why you’re making each decision, not just where to sign.
More than a license
What I’ve done, and what it means for you.
What I’ve done: Beyond the CRS, I hold the GRI, MRP, and e-PRO professional designations, and I’m an OHFA Homebuyer Downpayment Assistance Blue Ribbon Agent. I keep taking courses on how to represent buyers at a high level.
What it means for you: Extra training in contracts, finance, and negotiation is how I put you in an expert position for a home purchase. For military moves, the MRP means I already know how PCS timelines work. If you qualify for downpayment help, I already know how those programs work and which lenders participate.
What I’ve done: Past president of the Shawnee Board of REALTORS® and of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®. One term on the NAR Board of Directors. In 2021, I chaired the OKCMAR committee that works on contracts and forms.
What it means for you: I’m in the rooms where rules, forms, and market practices get discussed. When something changes, it’s rarely news to me, and I can tell you how it affects your purchase.
What I’ve done: I serve on the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee and regularly advocate at the State Capitol and on Capitol Hill in Washington.
What it means for you: That work is about the rules that decide whether you can get a loan and what protects you as a buyer and an owner. I follow those issues year-round, so you don’t have to.
What I’ve done: I’m a Hall of Fame inductee in the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), with more than $33,000 of my own money invested. I’ve been a Golden R President’s Circle investor since 2021, and I’ve served on the Oklahoma RPAC Board of Trustees since 2012. RPAC supports candidates who back homeownership.
What it means for you: My ongoing investment of time and money in the political process keeps homeownership within reach for you and the next buyer.
How I Handle Showing Feedback
Your opinion of a house is yours. I don’t hand it out.
After showings, the listing agent sends a feedback form. Many buyers’ agents routinely fill them out without remembering their duty to confidentiality. “Was your client interested? What do they think of the price?”
Think about what that tells the other side. Before you’ve made an offer, they know how much you like the house. Or don’t.
That’s your negotiating position, given away for free.
The habit is a holdover from subagency, when every agent in a deal technically worked for the seller. That ended after 1999. But the provincial habit stuck around and is being taught to new agents without historical knowledge.
Under Oklahoma’s Broker Relationships Act, we owe our clients confidentiality. So my rule is simple: I will not share your feedback with the listing agent unless you authorize me in writing that you want me to.
Sometimes a buyer does want to share, and that’s fine. It’s your decision.
Before You Hire Anyone
Ask any agent these questions. Here’s how I answer.
Good questions make a good hire. Ask me, and ask any other agent you’re considering.
| Questions to ask any agent | My answer |
|---|---|
| How do you handle showing feedback? | Never shared without your written okay. |
| Will you read the contract and explain it to me? | As much as you want. Every page, before you sign. |
| How will you tell me about problems with a house? | I tell you what worries me before you make an offer and during inspections. |
| What’s behind your offer numbers? | The comps, analyzed and shown to you every time. |
| What training do you have in representing buyers? | I complete far above the minimum-required continuing education. I have earned the CRS and GRI professional designations, plus I take repeated buyer-advocacy coursework. |
| Will I get the same attention at any price? | Yes. At $100,000 or $1 million, you get my full attention. |
| How do you invest in protecting homeownership, such as RPAC, the REALTORS® Political Action Committee? | I’m an RPAC Golden R level investor and Hall of Fame inductee for my lifetime investment. I’m a longtime trustee for Oklahoma RPAC. |
Start where you are
Different buyers need different plans.
Pick the one that sounds like you. If you’re two of them, open both.
Nobody hands you a manual, so I explain each step before it happens, including the parts that cost money. We start with what you can comfortably afford, how much cash you need at closing, and which loan fits.
You’ve got equity, a house to sell, and a mortgage you may not want to give up. The hard part is the order of operations: sell first, buy first, or both at once. We run the numbers before you fall in love with a house.
Shawnee moves at a different pace than the metro. I’ll show you what your budget buys here, which neighborhoods fit how you live, and what the schools look like. Then drive the commute at the hour you’d actually drive it.
Orders come with a date. I hold the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification, and I follow VA loan policy at the national level. We work backward from your report date.
Buying from a distance works when someone you trust serves as your eyes and ears. I’ll tell you what a listing photo doesn’t show, and what’s worth a trip.
Downsizing may sound like a loss. Rightsizing is the better way to see it: you’re not giving up space; you’re choosing the space that fits your next chapter. This move is a decision, not an emergency. You’re selling and buying on one timeline, so the order matters, and I handle the sale and the purchase so there’s one plan.
The Timeline
Consultation & Pre-Approval
We talk through what you want and what you can afford. I’ll connect you with local lenders, and you get pre-approved before we tour. Pre-approval first. Pinterest board optional.
Search & Showings
I send homes that fit your budget through RealScout. Tell it what you like and don’t like about each home, and your reactions fine-tune your search using AI so the next batch fits better. I set up showings around your life, including new construction and FSBO homes when the seller allows, and I tell you what to look for beyond the staging. What you tell me tunes your search and never goes to the listing agent. Every house is “the one” until you see the next one 😉
Offer, Contract, & Inspection
I write your offer from the comps and show you the numbers. I read every page of the contract with you, and I negotiate repairs after the inspection. Yes, the inspector will find things. That’s their job.
Closing & Move-in
I manage the deadlines through the appraisal and final walkthrough, and I stay with you through closing. Then I hand you the utility contacts and timing (/buying/hook-up-your-utilities/), help you find movers and home insurance, and bring pizza on moving day. Sign here. Initial there. Then keys.
The Money Part
Four money questions, answered.
Run your own numbers first to get a feel for how much you’re comfortable spending each month.
My short list of local lenders, in Shawnee and the OKC Metro. All are 5-star performers!
I’m a Certified OHFA Blue Ribbon Real Estate Professional. Here’s what to know.
See an estimate of buyer’s closing costs, on top of your down payment.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
Different buyers. Different situations. Same experience every time.
Being a first-time home buyer, I was overwhelmed and a little terrified. He worked with my schedule, which was hectic at best, and worked with my budget. We finally found a home that checked all the boxes! I couldn’t have asked for a better Realtor.
Holly Yeargain
First-time homebuyer
Steve is the best!! We were picky shoppers with a large amount of drama involving our new baby. Steve was very understanding of our needs. In the negotiation phase for the home we bought, he advocated for us quite well. We highly recommend Steve.
Dr. and Mrs. Kaine Ezell
Buyers with a new baby
Steve Reese is the best Realtor I have ever worked with. This is the fourth time I have gone through the home-buying process, and I felt understood, safe, and well taken care of. His wit and banter are just an added bonus!
Stephanie Gragg
Move across town