DIY projects are in vogue. And why not? People like to save a buck or two by doing a full range of work themselves. But sometimes, DIY is not worth the effort or the savings. Purchasing a home is an activity that is best navigated with a professional leading the helm. Using a real estate agent to purchase a home is a smart move.
You already have a job. Researching homes and neighborhoods, securing contracts, organizing paper work, scheduling appointments—it takes a significant amount of time. For most, time is a valuable asset. Working with a real estate agent during your home purchase saves you time. Real estate agents know the houses and neighborhoods in your community inside and out and deal with complicated real estate contracts every day. They are accustomed to coordinating the piles of paperwork necessary to seal a deal as well as communicating with other agents to schedule and manage appointments. Avoid taking on a new part-time job by working with a real estate agent for your home purchase.
You already have a specialty. Most likely, you are a specialist in your field, which grants you insider knowledge. It’s the same for a real estate agent. Working with real estate processes every day, agents possess substantial insider knowledge, like closing complications and pricing insight, that repeatedly benefits their clients. Any number of issues can kill a closing deal. Real estate agents use their expertise to be are proactive in protecting the buyer during closing. Experienced agents also use their learned know-how to understand whether a house is underpriced or overpriced and why. Utilizing Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), agents help buyers secure the best price on a home purchase.
Negotiation is not your super power. Rarely a deal is sealed without some level of negotiation. If you do not negotiate for a living, it’s harder than you think. Real estate agents know what to ask for when negotiating home repairs, closing schedules and fair pricing during a home purchase. What makes agents so good at negotiation? One, they do it every day, and two, they are not emotionally involved. An objective agent can negotiate with the potentially resistant seller to assist the buyers in securing the requests they desire. Let the veteran agent take the heat in challenging sale negotiations.
You like to work with ethical people. In most states, real estate agents are bound by license law to act in the best interests of their clients; in other words, they do not act in their own interests. Unfortunately, not all sellers are held to this code of ethical conduct and may not treat a buyer fairly. Also, many agents are members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and agree to a code of ethics when joining this organization. Therefore, enlisting a real estate agent is truly enlisting a team player. Plus, most real estate agents depend on referrals and repeat business to be successful, so they work their hardest to earn satisfied clients.
Sometimes, DIY is the only way to go, but with purchasing a home, working with an expert real estate agent is key. Hiring a real estate agent ensures an efficient, informed and enjoyable home-purchasing process.
