Significant? I don't think so.
There are certain specific qualifications that buyers' agents might have completed. Just of many various certifications that Realtors can earn.
But it's probably that they prefer working with buyers and not listing houses and all that entails (like myself).
It's their own choice.

All real estate agents can be a buyers agent. One who is marketing themselves as a " buyers agent only" probably doesnt have an interest in taking listings to sell or is new in the business and doesn't have any listings that may be a conflict so they are using this as a marketing tool. If you are a buyer, you would want a buyers agent, they represent the buyers interest. In most areas the agents in a transaction are either a buyers agent or a sellers agent. There is no such thing as a "traditional agent". Some areas use what is called a "transactional agent". These agents represent the the buyer or seller in a transaction and act as that clients agent for that particular transaction. Don't get too caught up in the terminology, just make sure the agent you are working with is working to represent your best interest.

Before you engage an agent who works with buyers only, find out if (s)he is a member of MLS & if (s)he sells pre-owned homes as well as new homes.

"Before you engage an agent who works with buyers only, find out if (s)he is a member of MLS & if (s)he sells pre-owned homes as well as new homes."

If this person is a buyers agent only, wouldn't it be safe to assume that they don't sell any homes at all, new or otherwise?

Thanks for the replies so far.

Regarding MLS, what's the significance of the agent having access to the MLS system?

From our experience so far, the agents seem one step behind. I can get listings myself from a half dozen or more websites. (Redfin, Realtor, ...) In fact, I usually see properties listed there a day or two before my agent's "alert email" notifies me that something has come to market.

From what we've seen so far, the agents really only are useful to open the lockbox for showings and to push some paperwork. It's a huge commission for little work.

Confirm my understanding please, but there's really no agent/person/otherwise that can magically make the right house appear on the market, right? We know exactly what we want and where we want it. Right down to certain streets in certain towns where we'd like to buy. But there's no inventory right now. So it's just a waiting game.

Is there any type of agent/person we could work with to make a home come to market?

^ That is the exact same situation we were/are experiencing.

We ended up playing the waiting game, but it has taken us over one year (I wish I wouldn't have paid extra for a month-to-month lease).

Non-Realtors & non-MLS members who advertise themselves as buyer's agents sometimes specialize in new homes, & selling a builder home usually means that you play by the builder's rules.

which means the seller holds all the cards, & neither buyer nor seller has an agent who is bound by NAR (National Association of Realtors) & state Association rules & ethics.

Realtors/MLS members subscribe to codes of ethics,
they almost always will represent both buyers and sellers, they typically will help a buyer client with new and/or pre-owned homes,
and they use state-promulgated contracts, which give the buyer more strength.

Real Estate Agents are licensed by the state and follow state laws and regulations.

Realtors have taken a step further and joined the NAR (at the local, state and national levels) and are bound by their stricter rules and the Code of Ethics.

Most Realtors also join their local MLS and sometimes more than one. I don't believe you can join MLS without being a Realtor, but you can be a Realtor without joining MLS.

In my experience, the 2nd-hand websites are not as up-to-date or accurate as MLS. I know some agents put their buyers on auto-notification but I always screen the notices so that incurs a delay, but it's the service I provide my buyers. I forward along maybe 1/4 of the notices because the searches will send along a lot of junk. For example right now, a buyer I'm working with would keep getting notices about a particular home that is a disaster because the listing agent is dropping the price or making a change to the listing every few days so that it keeps popping up on my notifications, but I know my buyers are NOT interested, so I screen it out for them.

As far as access to MLS, as far as my local one goes, I have a lot more search and screen capability (with the exception of being able to exclude specific properties, unfortunately!) than any of the online sites, especially in the mapping which I have to use all too often to encapsulate certain neighborhoods. The closest, most accurate one available of course, is Realtor.com, because that is directly sourced from MLS. I don't know the specifics, but I think Redfin and Trulia and Zillow all data-mine their "listings" and that's why there are numerous inaccuracies. I am often, all too often, looking up properties that my buyers find on Zillow or Craigslist and have to tell them that it has been off the market for weeks or sold or a scam (in the case of CL) and basically, there is a legitimate reason I didn't show you that house! This stuff is all over my head, but I know there are rumors of NAR going into cooperation with these other websites, which will change the game.

As far as low inventory - that is my neighborhood exactly. The home that I found for my buyers was a walk-by - knew they had it listed years ago, and FSBO after that, so I was walking by last week and saw them out front and asked it they were still thinking about moving and...we should be under contract tonight if all goes well. This is after I've already contacted the major agents who farm this neighborhood to see if they had any pocket listings (meaning a listing coming up, or someone thinking about selling but hasn't committed, basically pre-MLS). This is what an aggressive buyers' agent can do for you. All the major agents who farm here have been sending out letters in the last few months stating that they have buyers looking for homes, so much that the last listing went under contract the same day the sign went up.

You'll have to see the threads that have been posted about approaching people, writing letters and postcards, etc and maybe try that if you can't find a buyers' agent to work aggressively for you.

I wouldn't be concerned with a "buyers agent", but a good agent is helpful doing more than put you on an alert list. If you know the exact neighborhood you want, find the agent who farms that neighborhood, and have them canvas the neighborhood for expired or pulled listings and pocket listings. There may be a seller there right now for you.
I disagree about Redfin being inaccurate, in my area I get listing updates instantly, they are the same as realtor.com, but I like the information and mapping and views on redfin. Of course redfin is not everywhere and I doubt I'd ever use a redfin agent to either buy or sell, but I like the site.

The best way to get an agent motivated to find you a certain home in a certain place with low inventory is to sign a buyers agency agreement with them and let them know that you are pre qualified and ready to roll once he/she finds something.
If the agent knows you are committed to them and are financially ready to make things happen, most will go above and beyond to find that unique home for you.

NCRE (& other agents)

I'm wondering if buyers agency agreement is local as I've never been asked to sign one. Do you request one from every buyer you work with?

When we bought, we had a buyer agent agreement... In Washington State.

I'd say, if you have a particular neighborhood, you want an experienced agent that can find you the house...before it goes on the market.

Farm-specialized agents are very good at this and asked to do it from time to time. It is a special skill. But, finding an agent who is good at it will get you that house in that particular neighborhood before a "seller" has fully decided to sell.

So how does one find a good buyer agent? What special quals/skills should we look for? What do we ask when we sit down for an interview to find someone who can really hunt down what we need?

And if we're looking in an area of 4 (adjacent) towns, should we find an agent local to each, or be exclusive with one?

Our agent was goodon the sale side generating traffic and all, but as mentioned, the buy side has been limited to just hooking the MLS up to our email and trying to convince us to buy what's out there to "tie something up."

We know exactly what & where we want, there's just nothing there. We need someone with skills beyond "just watch the MLS system." Unless that's really all any agent can do.