Home buying and selling— it’s one of the most exciting, and sometimes stressful, moments in an adult’s life. The challenge that comes with purchasing a home involves a detailed process, one that could prove overwhelming for an inexperienced buyer. Selling a home could be even more of a headache if you’re looking to get it done in a timely manner or financial obligations are pushing your decision to get out.
Specific factors, like negotiations and neighborhood knowledge, are often overlooked, resulting in speed bumps for those looking to buy or sell quickly. In the age of Pinterest and all things do-it-yourself, attempting to purchase a home without professional help is not a creative and fun way to cut costs, but rather a risky undertaking that could end in seriously expensive consequences. Likewise, selling your home without the proper knowledge of your surroundings could slow your roll to getting it sold.
With knowledge being one of the most important tools in real estate, hiring an agent can mean the difference between a smooth experience and a total nightmare. Real estate agents are trained professionals, and the education and experience they’ve earned in the field are invaluable components to your home buying and selling search.
As a buyer or seller, you may think you have all of the answers, but it is likely situations will arise that you will be unprepared to handle. Say you manage to get through the transaction without a hitch, but realize you’ve encountered an error with the taxing authorities. Times like this are when having a knowledgeable professional you can turn to will pay off.
Even what seems like the simplest steps of real estate buying and selling are easier with an agent on hand. Sure, you can find a house online that you love, but did the seller provide details about the area? How are the schools? What is the crime rate in this location? Did the seller specify the general market value for the neighborhood or disclose what the surrounding homes have sold for in the past.
A real estate agent can provide you with all of these smaller details that are an integral part of your experience and can save you from overpaying, or being underpaid, for a home due to lack of knowledge.
The ability to negotiate is a necessary part of any real estate transaction, and even the most experienced negotiators are no match for professional real estate agents.
As the home buyer or seller, you are more likely to be emotionally-driven, but a trained real estate agent is able to remove themselves from the emotions attached to the home and present your story from a marketable standpoint. A real estate agent will refrain from oversharing, whereas an independent buyer or seller may be subtly coerced into conversations that could reveal too much information.
At the end of the day, real estate agents are all about making connections. Their drive lies not in the monetary value of helping you buy a home, but in the rapport they are able to build with you throughout the process.
By developing a trusting relationship with interested buyer, they are solidifying positive feedback and hoping that feedback transforms into word-of-mouth recommendations and promising leads. In real estate, there is no better advertisement than a happy customer, so rest assured that their motives lie primarily in leaving you satisfied with their business.
