A real estate agent is a professional in a field where most buyers and sellers are novices. This is very likely the largest single purchase you will ever make. After all, how often do you drop a quarter of a million dollars or more on a shopping spree? Home buying and selling is full of pitfalls that can be avoided with an agent to provide you with expert assistance, knowledge of the market and negotiation skills.
- Your agent is the unbiased voice of reason who brings objectivity to the table. An agent helps sellers see past their emotional connection to their home and helps buyers deal with a multiple bid situation.
- Your agent can recommend a good independent home inspector who can provide a list of repair needs. Then, the agent will help evaluate which repairs are reasonable and which are excessive as you get your home ready to sell. Your agent also has contacts with excellent contractors to make the necessary repairs.
- Determining the price of your home is difficult: you want to realize a maximum profit without scaring off potential buyers with sticker shock. With their experience in your market area, most real estate agents can set the price of a home very quickly.
- If you’ve ever bought or sold a house, you know that it involves a mountain of paperwork. Your agent can really save the day here because the possibility of missing something — such as initialing all the proper boxes — can drop substantially when you are working with a pro who knows all the paperwork nuances.
- Professional real estate agents are familiar with local zoning ordinances and codes to be able to know if you can add on a new bedroom or put up a privacy fence. The agent should be able to make sure the city will allow your changes.
- Licensed agents are required to keep a complete set of all your real estate transaction documents, making them a good resource for years after the deal has closed.
- Plenty of pitfalls are can appear in the final hours of a sale that might kill the deal. Your agent knows to watch for trouble before it’s too late. Problems with the title or financing or timing are all things the agent knows to watch for and take steps to avoid. Agents are used to dealing with these kinds of issues and can work through nearly any challenge that might occur.
Nearly 90% of buyers purchase their home through a real estate agent, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Your agent is an expert in sales, as well as marketing, social media and data analysis. Home sale rules are always changing and it’s your agent’s job to stay on top of the market and bring that expertise to you. Why wouldn’t you choose to have a professional like that working for you as you make this momentous purchase?