It's easy to be intrigued by the idea of buying a home without a real estate agent. After all, an agent's commission is one of the biggest expenses involved in the process. But the reality is that most people have a much easier time buying a home with the help of an experienced professional.
Agents Know What to Look For
Those in the market to buy a house or an investment property usually have a firm idea of what they want, from the number of bedrooms and bathrooms to a swimming pool and other must-haves. You’ll probably feel comfortable looking at homes for sale with that list tucked firmly in the back of your mind. However, there will always be properties in the area you wish to live in. So the question is, which one of these homes will suit your specific needs and budget? If you’re buying a home without a realtor, then you’ll have to sift through all the available options yourself. Anyone can imagine how time-consuming this task is. An experienced real estate agent, however, will shortlist properties for you based on your wish list. Realtors typically know every house on the real estate market and it’s their job to find the one that fits your needs and budget.
Agents Have Extensive Market Knowledge
No one understands current real estate market trends and conditions better than agents. If you’re a property investor, this is one of the main reasons and benefits of hiring a real estate agent. Top agents are well-versed with all aspects of the housing market, especially how different factors like mortgage interest rates and the unemployment rate can affect it. They also have intimate knowledge of street-by-street and even house-by-house markets, for both buyers’ and sellers’ markets. They can also identify real estate comparable and hand this information to you, so you can make an informed decision quickly. Other market knowledge that only a local agent will know include which neighborhoods are near great schools, which neighborhoods saw the greatest increase in market value over the years, and what are the most promising projects in a given area. All of this allows agents to help you determine whether or not a certain neighborhood is good for real estate investing.
Agents Provide Valuable Price Guidance
As a homeowner, you might think you know how much your house is worth. But is the price that you’ve arrived at reasonable? Most of the time, emotions may cloud your perspective which would lead to overestimating your home’s value. Some might also stumble on the wrong side of the equation and drastically undervalue their homes. The only way for you to know for sure is by working with real estate agents. Most real estate agents can set a price on a home the minute they walk through the door. While anyone can spend a few minutes online and pull information on sales of comparable properties, agents have the experience to know whether a specific house is overpriced or underpriced. They will also perform a comparative market analysis to evaluate all the data that affects home values. As a result, they help sellers develop an accurate and realistic listing price that would attract buyers.
Agents Provide Home Staging Advice
Selling your home but not sure if it’s aesthetically pleasing? Your agent can handle that! The goal of home staging is to make it easier for buyers to see themselves living in the house. This will help find a buyer quicker and decrease your time on the market. And agents are pros when it comes to staging homes for sale and makes them look great to attract the right buyer. A top real estate agent knows what buyers are looking for and uses his/her tools and resources to make your home appeal to the most likely buyers. Whether it’s moving furniture around or bringing in some of their own props, they know how to make your home look like it’s ready to be sold.
Agents Save Time and Energy
Closing a real estate transaction is typically a long and lengthy process. Working with real estate agents, however, can make the process easier for you. If looking to sell a property, the agent will handle open homes and showings so you don’t have to make all those appointments yourself. The sellers’ agent will also filter all those irritating phone calls that lead to nowhere and, hence, help you in identifying serious buyers. If you’re a buyer, your agent will similarly protect you from being inundated with calls and the marketing tactics of sellers.
Moreover Buying or selling a house is a big deal. There's a lot of paperwork involved. Therefore working with a real estate agent helps you to stay organized, saves you time, and makes the process easier.
