Why You Should Always Use a Real Estate Agent
March 11, 2010 – Like any business, there are people who specialize in real estate. Many buyers and sellers out there think they can do this without the guidance of a professional real estate agent by their side. Now I’m not saying that all agents are created equal, but having an expert can save you time, money, and help you avoid the pitfalls of the real estate game.
Buyers have so many tools at their fingertips these days. They can search all the homes for sale, find recent sales, and do plenty of research on their own. Not everyone is so savvy, but even those who are should understand the basic rule of thumb. Going straight to the listing agent will not benefit you. The main reason is the listing agent is representing the seller, and is negotiating on the seller’s behalf. His job is to get as much money from you. Let me repeat that. The listing agent is trying to get you to increase your offer as much as possible. Where is the benefit in this? Exactly. An agent representing you as a buyer will do exactly that, and will work and negotiate on your behalf to try and get the seller to lower his price as much as possible and get you the best deal. But negotiating aside, everyone needs a second eye, and a guide to help him or her with their decisions, especially big ones like buying real estate. Experienced and knowledgeable agents are looking at deals and seeing transactions daily, giving them much more information than a buyer who just decides now that he’s interested. They can share neighborhood trends and information and help you get a clear picture of what’s going on in the market. They also know of deals before they hit the market, giving you a competitive edge.
Home sellers feel they can save on commissions by trying to list their home by owner and forego the exposure of the Multiple Listing Service, known as the MLS. They don’t feel they need agents to bring them a buyer. But time and time again they are proven wrong. Here’s the latest statistic from the National Association of REALTORS®.
88% of for sale by owners end up using a real estate agent to sell their home!
That’s right, 88%!!!! What these home sellers lost was time and time is everything when you are trying to get your home sold for as much money as you can get. Simply listing your home on Craigslist just won’t do it. Even if you do get lucky and get an offer that way, it’s probably not the best offer you can get. Exposing your listing to every buyer and agent out there using the MLS system will drive more buyers and offers your way. The more offers, the better your chances of getting top dollar for your property.
When it comes time to buy or sell your next home, always speak to an experienced agent that specialized in your submarkets of interest.
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