With so much information readily available online, clients sometimes ask me, "Why should we hire a real estate agent?" They wonder, and rightfully so, if they couldn't buy or sell a home through the Internet or through regular marketing and advertising channels without representation, without a a real estate agent. Some do OK, many don't. So if you've wondered the same thing, here are 10 reasons why you might want to consider hiring a professional real estate agent.
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Education & Experience
You don't need to know everything about buying and selling real estate if you hire a real estate professional who does. Henry Ford once said that when you hire people who are smarter than you are, it proves you are smarter than they are. The trick is to find the right person. For the most part, they all cost roughly the same. Why not hire a person with more education and experience than you? We're all looking for more precious time in our lives, and hiring pros gives us that time.
Agents Are Buffers
Agents take the spam out of your property showings and visits. If you're a buyer of new homes, your agent will whip out her sword and keep the builder's agents at bay, preventing them from biting or nipping at your heels. If you're a seller, your agent will filter all those phone calls that lead to nowhere from lookie loos and try to induce serious buyers to immediately write an offer.
Neighborhood Knowledge
Agents either possess intimate knowledge or they know where to find the industry buzz about your neighborhood. They can identify comparable sales and hand these facts to you, in addition to pointing you in the direction where you can find more data on schools, crime or demographics. For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $350,000, but an agent will know it had upgrades and sold at $285,000 after 65 days on the market and after twice falling out of escrow.
Price Guidance
Contrary to what some people believe, agents do not select prices for sellers or buyers. However, an agent will help to guide clients to make the right choices for themselves. If a listing is at 7%, for example, an agent has a 7% vested interest in the sale, but the client has a 93% interest. Selling agents will ask buyers to weigh all the data supplied to them and to choose a price. Then based on market supply, demand and the conditions, the agent will devise a negotiation strategy.
Market Conditions Information
Professional Networking
Negotiation Skills & Confidentiality
Handling Volumes of Paperwork
One-page deposit receipts were prevalent in the early 1970s. Today's purchase agreements run 10 pages or more. That does not include the federal- and state-mandated disclosures nor disclosures dictated by local custom. Most real estate files average thicknesses from one to three inches of paper. One tiny mistake or omission could land you in court or cost you thousands. In some states, lawyers handle the disclosures, thank goodness!
Answer Questions After Closing
Develop Relationships for Future Business
The basis for an agent's success and continued career in real estate is referrals. Few agents would survive if their livelihood was dependent on consistently drumming up new business. This emphasis gives agents strong incentives to make certain clients are happy and satisfied. It also means that an agent who stays in the business will be there for you when you need to hire an agent again. Many will periodically mail market updates to you to keep you informed and to stay in touch.
At the time of writing, Elizabeth Weintraub, DRE # 00697006, is a Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate in Sacramento, California.
This is one of the most informative information I've read. Thanks for sharing this 10 reasons and teaching some of your Idea's!
Posted by EDcook Real Estate on Sunday, August 13th, 2017 at 9:28pmI like that the agent will be a buffer between non-serious buyers. My parents are looking to sell their home. They were considering selling it themselves. I will share this tip with them so they can save some time.
Posted by Megan on Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 at 8:56pmThat's good that real estate agents can help you learn about things like the median and average sale prices, ratios of list-to-sold prices, and average per square foot cost of homes. My husband and I want to buy a home that is close to my parents' house because they want to be able to get to know their grandkids well. We'll have to find a real estate agent in the area to work with.
Posted by Amanda Drew on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 at 3:19pmI like your point about how real estate agents either know about the neighborhood you want to buy in or know how to find out about that neighborhood. That would be really helpful for people like us who have a few specific neighborhoods we are seriously considering. From the outside, it's just too hard to get insider knowledge on these areas, so we will be needing an agent to help us out. Thanks for all of these great tips! We'll definitely keep them in mind during the hiring process and everything else moving forward.
Posted by Raisa Delima on Thursday, October 5th, 2017 at 9:05pmMy husband and I are not sure whether to hire a real estate agent to help us sell our home. However, agents seem to have the negotiation skills needed for our business. Thanks for the reasons you provided in this article that we can consider in hiring an agent.
Posted by Sariah Meagle on Tuesday, October 10th, 2017 at 4:41pmI agree that getting an agent that has a lot of experience in the market should be your primary consideration. My sister sold her house and hired a newbie realtor. It was a bad experience altogether. Also, I would recommend finding an agent who's local for they will know the local market's movement and trends and could give you the best advice to your real estate needs. Cheers!
Posted by Theodore Winston on Friday, October 13th, 2017 at 4:55pmThe idea of hiring a real estate agent is becoming more appealing, especially after reading how a good one can remove emotional aspects from a transaction. One of my concerns is that I'll end up investing in a home because my emotions were in control. I figure that it would be beneficial to work with someone who can balance that side of me out.
Posted by Becca Holton on Friday, October 13th, 2017 at 7:19pmI'm glad I came across your blog about hiring a real estate agent. I love what you said about how real estate agents are trained to present their client's case in the best light and agree to hold client information confidential from competing interests. It's important to me to find an agent who has the skills to negotiate well. My brother will soon buy a house since he's settling down with his girlfriend. His priority is budget when it comes to purchasing the house, so it's important to him to find someone who has the skills to negotiate. I will make sure to share your blog with him so he can get tips.
Posted by Sharon Wilson Smith on Saturday, November 4th, 2017 at 12:33amI love that you talked about how real estate agents can be experienced and educated when it comes to buying and selling real estate. For me, they are called real estate agents because they have the right skills to negotiate and deal with different people. I'm planning to buy a new property which I will give to my parents. I'm looking into finding a real estate agent who has the right amount of experience and skill so I can get the confidence that the transaction will be as smooth as I imagined. I don't think that I can do the purchase alone. I will make sure to consider your tips when choosing a real estate agent.
Posted by Sharon Wilson Smith on Tuesday, November 7th, 2017 at 11:18pmIt was wonderful how you added a person's quotation in your article, but I definitely agree that if you hire a smart person to do a job, that means that you are smarter. My family wants to buy a new home soon because the old one can't fit all of us anymore. Why bother do the research and everything, when we can hire a reliable real estate agent to do it for us? It's actually quite true. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by Tammie Houston on Thursday, November 9th, 2017 at 7:53pmThis is perfect since we're planning to hire a broker for our move this January. I liked how you mentioned that Realtors are there to guide us in making the right choices when it comes to the real estate market. That should help us find a worthy new home for us with ease then. Additionally, they would be able to locate a better option than the ones we would have found if we are to do this ourselves. I hope our home hunt shall go smoothly. Thanks!
Posted by Jeremy Thompson on Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 at 12:49amI'm really glad that you talked about real estate agent, my sister's been planning to buy a house and she's thinking about hiring an agent to help her with all the search and buying process. I agree that we should really hire an agent that is smart and has leveled-experience. It's nice to know that agents are commonly familiar with the house listing and the thing that they know the ins and outs of the market are really impressive. I'll be sure to share this with my sister. Thanks!
Posted by Dan Moller on Wednesday, November 15th, 2017 at 9:03amIt's absolutely great that you talked about how knowledgeable real estate agents are when you're looking for the best neighborhood that will meet your needs. My father has been looking for a house that is situated in a good location to make sure that we won't have a hard time adjusting to the new place. I also like that you mentioned how agents can find the best deal for you that will suit your budget. That I think is a big plus on why we should hire a real estate agent. I'll make sure to remember all your tips.
Posted by Sam Li on Thursday, November 16th, 2017 at 1:39amThank you for the ten reasons to hire a real estate agent. I always think it's a good idea to hire a real estate agent when searching for or selling a home. A real estate agent handles all the paperwork and searching for you so you can simply point and choose almost. I'll have to pass this on to a friend who is currently looking to buy a home.
Posted by jaque christo on Monday, November 20th, 2017 at 11:51amHiring a real estate agent is really a great help! They surely help you to find a perfect home at the right price.
Posted by Robert K. Nisbett on Wednesday, November 29th, 2017 at 7:13amI like the example of the house that's on the market for $350,000 but sells for $285,000. My husband and I have always wanted to live in a certain neighborhood of our city, but the houses there are priced really high. Maybe we can find a real estate agent who can help us pick one that we can get for less than the market price.
Posted by Hannah Schroeder on Thursday, December 7th, 2017 at 8:29pmI like that you mention how real estate agents eight possess an intimate knowledge or know where to find information on your neighborhood. Working with a professional that knows what they're doing and what's happening in the market would be useful to make sure you get the best deal. When choosing a professional, you'd probably want to research the different options and then meet with the ones that match your requirements so you can talk about your situation in order to make sure they have the right skills and knowledge to help you.
Posted by Tiffany Lock on Friday, December 8th, 2017 at 12:20amI like that you talked about how hiring a real estate agent can provide you the information that you need in buying a house such as the demographics and the crime rate in a certain market. My brother and I are looking for a house to buy for our parents, and it's important for us to find a secured place. It's necessary for us to check the available date of crime rate in the area that we're interested in to ensure their safety. I will make sure to talk to my brother so we can consider hiring a professional real estate agent soon.
Posted by Selena Austin on Thursday, December 14th, 2017 at 1:36amThank you for the top 10 reasons to hire a real estate agent. I like the thought of having my real estate agent negotiate for me. I'm not good at negotiating at all and having someone who is would be a huge benefit in getting the best deal. Thank you for the information.
Posted by jaque christo on Wednesday, December 20th, 2017 at 9:25amIn today's tough real estate market, the Internet is playing a huge role in the buying and selling of real estate and is an almost limitless source of real estate information. However, it does not replace the experience and knowledge of an experienced real estate professional.
Posted by real estate agents on Saturday, January 6th, 2018 at 2:40amI agree! If you are selling or buying a home you must hire a real estate agent.
Posted by Dinesh on Thursday, January 18th, 2018 at 8:03amWhat I really liked was how you talked about how real estate agents have the knowledge and experience in selling and buying a house so you won't need to know everything about the process which can save you time in the long run. It has been my plan to buy a house for my family. Now that I have enough savings and the mean to buy one, I'm looking to make sure that the buying process is going to be smooth and hassle-free. I don't think that I have the skills to make everything easy since I'm also busy with other commitments. I will make sure to consider hiring a real estate agent soon. Thanks!
Posted by Latoya Anderson on Wednesday, January 31st, 2018 at 11:29pmI like that you talked about how you must consider hiring a real estate agent when you're buying a home to save time because professionals have the education and experience that are necessary for the buying process. My sister is currently looking for a house to buy before her wedding day. Since organizing her wedding is a big task, she doesn't have the time to focus on buying a new house. It will make sense for her to hire a professional real estate agent that has the necessary experience to make everything easy and smooth for her. I will make sure to share your blog with her. Thanks!
Posted by Pamela Brown on Tuesday, February 6th, 2018 at 2:46amThank you for the post on the top 10 reasons to hire a real estate agent. I definitely think it's in your best interest to hire an agent due to their vast knowledge of the market and areas they work in. You can get valuable information on the homes in the area as well as an agent's negotiating skills when it comes time to buy or sell.
Posted by jaque christo on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 at 12:21pmMy wife and I are going through the process of selling a home, and we want to make the our deal as easy as possible for our family. These are very helpful tips for hire a real estate agent. Thanks for sharing..!!
Posted by Ernie Parnell on Thursday, March 1st, 2018 at 2:22amIt did catch my attention when you said that by hiring a professional real estate agent, you can save a lot of time because you won't have to know about everything in real estate transactions. My mother has no time to learn all the things about buying a house because of her busy schedule. Now that she's buying a house, I will make sure to share your blog with her so she can consider hiring a real estate agent.
Posted by Ava Murphy on Saturday, April 21st, 2018 at 12:30amI do like how you pointed out that one mistake in the papers can cause a big legal problem, so it is best to hire a real estate agent who knows exactly how to file them. I know nothing about legal paperwork, so it is good to know this. We will focus on hiring a realtor before we go out to buy a house next month.
Posted by Ria Amelia Lawrence on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 at 7:04pmIt was nice to know that a real estate agent knows a lot about the neighborhood that the person is considering. That is good to know since the neighborhood is what decides whether my sister will buy a house or not. She prefers a quiet and safe area for her family. For this, she needs to get in touch with a realtor who knows much.
Posted by Mina Edinburgh on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 at 7:10pmIf you're planning to hire a real estate agent then there are actually several things to look for. I particularly like that the article recommends looking into professional networking. After all, that can really help sell your home since agents can talk to each other about what their buyers and sellers are looking for.
Posted by Duncan Lance on Thursday, September 6th, 2018 at 7:50pmI'm glad that you mention how real estate agents know how to get information about neighborhoods so that you can understand the market as well as the local area. This would be important to figure out which home you want to move to in order to live comfortably and safely. When choosing a real estate agent, it would probably be a good idea to go online and research local professionals so you can read reviews and check their website to get information about their experience and skills to figure out which one will be able to provide the services you need.
Posted by Tiffany Locke on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018 at 8:02pmThanks for explaining why it could be good to get a real estate agent. It's nice to know that the agents can help disclose market conditions. This seems important especially if the agent can help you understand the market better.
Posted by Taylor Bishop on Thursday, March 28th, 2019 at 11:05amIt's really nice that you explained how the best real estate agents could give you a long list of reputable, efficient, and competent references when you're on a prowl for the best luxury properties in town. This is just the kind of help that my mom would need when she sells her Rodeo Drive flat. Since the gothic and Asian mix appeals only to a very narrow niche of adventurous, exotica-loving luxury home buyers, it would be great if she gets very specific leads to get her custom-built apartment sold fast.
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