He will gather market information for you and present your offer and counter-offers to the sellers and their agent. If you deal directly with the seller's agent, it is you against a professional who is squarely on the side of the seller. Before you make an offer to buy, you should gather information that will support you during the negotiations. Your agent can provide recent selling prices for comparable houses in the area. A house that is listed at more than 10-percent over its average selling price could be overpriced.
Major repairs are a valid reason to reduce a price.
Ask for a second viewing of the house in order to take a closer look. Check it from top to bottom. Note any needed repairs, inferior materials or workmanship, and anything else that might support your pitch for a lower price. If major repairs are needed, note details of size, materials, models, etc., that will allow you to inquire about repair costs. Then, call the appropriate tradespeople and describe the needed work.