 When buying or selling real estate, it can be time consuming, difficult and even expose you to legal and financial pitfalls unless you are working with a trained professional. This article is not just an opportunity to toot my own horn. Here are five compelling reasons why working with a REALTOR® may be in your best interest:
A real estate transaction is complicated.In most cases, buying or selling a home requires property disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page government-mandated settlement statements. A knowledgeable REALTOR® can guide you through this complexity and can help you avoid unnecessary delays or costly mistakes. Selling or buying a home is time consuming.Even in a strong market, homes in our area stay on the market for an average of 120 days. And it usually takes another 30 to 60 days or so for the transaction to close after an offer is accepted. Real estate has its own language.If you don’t know a CMA from a MLS, you can understand why it’s important to work with someone who speaks that language. REALTORS® have done it before.Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. And even if you’ve done it before, laws and regulations change. That’s why having an expert on your side is critical. REALTORS® provide objectivity.Since a home often symbolizes family, rest, and security, not just four walls and a roof, home selling or buying is often a very emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you keep focused on both the business and emotional issues most important to you. REALTORS® are members of the National Association of REALTORS®.Not all real estate agents are REALTORS®. Ask if your agent is a member of NAR. NAR is a trade organization of more than 1 million members nationwide. REALTORS® subscribe to a stringent code of ethics that helps guarantee the highest level of service and integrity. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the specific benefits to you as either a buyer or seller. |
Source: Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online by permission of the National Association of REALTORS®.
I think it is a great idea to use a realtor when you are trying to buy a home and especially if you are trying to sell one. I know that you have to pay the commission which reduces your profits somewhat, but think of all the benefits you are getting in return.
They really do more than you might think.
I have realized that over the course of constructing a relationship with real estate owners, you’ll be able to get them to understand that, in every real estate deal, a commission rate is paid. Ultimately, FSBO sellers do not “save” the commission payment. Rather, they try to win the commission by doing an agent’s work. In doing so, they shell out their money in addition to time to accomplish, as best they could, the responsibilities of an broker. Those assignments include exposing the home via marketing, showing the home to all buyers, developing a sense of buyer desperation in order to prompt an offer, preparing home inspections, controlling qualification checks with the lender, supervising fixes, and assisting the closing.