You have decided that you would like to purchase a home to accommodate your growing family. You and your significant other begin looking at different homes, but quickly find that it is difficult to not only find properties that match your vision, but to engage in a fair negotiation. For most people who have bought a home will agree that the search for the perfect place is stressful. This is where a real estate professional comes in. With this in mind, what are the biggest advantages of using a real estate agent, as opposed to searching for the home yourself?
Finding a Home
Real estate agents are able to find options that most closely align with your own wishes for the property. While more online listing companies like Zillow are making their way to the internet, they oftentimes don’t include homes that were not included on the public websites. In some instances, the seller requests that their home is not listed on a public forum like Zillow. For homes that are not listed online, a real estate agent will oftentimes be in contact with other agents to determine what homes are available, but not listed online.
Pricing Points
When looking at various properties that are for sale, it can be difficult to pinpoint how the offering price compares to the official cost of the house. A combination of their experience and education have given real estate agents the ability to interpret how reasonable their asking price is, and if it is worth pursuing. It is not uncommon for homeowners to put their home on the market at a higher price than the home was appraised for. Having a real estate professional lowers the risk of spending more on the home than it is worth, while ensuring that you will find a great home within the allocated budget.
Paperwork
Anyone who owns, or has owned a home will agree that the paperwork for purchasing a home can be overwhelming, and can become more complicated if repairs are needed in the home. To give an example, if you found a home that you love, but find that the air conditioning is not working properly after going into escrow. Real estate agents work as your advocate in this instance, and will require that the issue is fixed before moving forward with the final paperwork.
Once any issues are fixed, your real estate agent will work with the seller to get everything filled out and signed, so you do not have to worry about missing anything important. Because the paperwork for a home sale can be fairly extensive, having your agent there as a resource to explain any unclear sections can be highly beneficial.
While these are some of the biggest advantages of using a real estate agent, there are numerous other benefits as well. For helping you find the perfect home to assisting you as you walk through the paperwork, hiring a real estate agent can help make the process smoother, and more enjoyable for all parties involved.