Newbie introduction plus dual agency question

[Paul M.]

Hi Bigger Pockets community in SLC.

I'm a newbie investor in the area. 

I've had a chance to meet a few people at the SLREIA lunch, REI Expo, and at an MJARE open house. I'm also joining UVREIA and UtahREIA and plan to attend as many events as my day-job and family demands will allow. I have to say, it's great that there are so many options to meet folks and learn about the industry here. It has been fun to get started here.

At the events, I've been able to talk with a few folks about partnerships, purchasing wholesale, etc.  One option I also want to explore is a regular retail purchase.  My primary goals are long term appreciation and tax benefit.  Cash flow generally needs to be positive but isn't the primary objective.

Isn't it the case that Utah allows for dual agency so long as there is written disclosure and agreement by both the buyer and seller?  If so, can this be used to get a discount off a retail purchase (e.g. if the dual-agent agrees to take a lower commission on the buyer's side)? 

I was thinking of offering the listing agent to be a dual-agent instead of me bringing my own buyers agent.  I searched BP and found that others had this idea as well but that there was some controversy around it.  Clearly dual-agency in general comes with a set of risks and potential conflicts of interest.  I'm curious if this has been done successfully in Utah.

To me, it seems like a listing agent would prefer to dual-represent and get a larger overall commission vs have the buyer bring his/her own agent (and get a smaller overall commission as a result).  However, I don't have any experience with this.  Appreciate any advice folks have.