Buying a home without a real estate agent may sound like a way to save some serious money but you may want to reconsider.
Here are some reasons why using an agent to help you buy a home will not only save you money but a lot of headaches as well.
Agents Do Their Job, Without Emotion Playing A Role
It is the real estate agent's job to find you a home that matches your budget and the criteria you need for the situation you are in. The agent is not emotionally connected with the purchase like you might be. For example, the layout might remind you of childhood memories or the location might seem to be exactly what you think you want without taking into consideration the drive time to work.
The agent will be able to help you find homes in a logical manner that matches your needs without the emotion playing into the decision-making process.
Another plus is that the agent can deal with the seller if you are not interested in their home. You won’t have to have an uncomfortable conversation.
An Agent Can Do A Search Using A Large Database
When you are searching for a home, most likely you will find the available ones on websites like Zillow, Realtor, and Redfin among many other search engines.
Real estate agents have the MLS (Multiple Listing Services) at their fingertips that show homes across the country and can narrow the search down to very specific needs you have for the home you are looking for. Using an agent widens the pool of homes for you and gives you a better chance of finding the right property for you.
Negotiating A Home Sale Requires Talent
A real estate agent will take time to talk to you to learn about what it is that is important to you and what might be irrelevant. They also understand what it takes to convince a seller to accept your offer. A good agent will know how to counter if the offer you have submitted is not the winning one.
The agents can handle all the negotiations that come when working through certain counter offers instead of you trying to fumble your way through without any help.
Separating Potential Home From Undesirable Ones
An agent can take the list of things you must have in your home and weed out the properties that don’t fit your dream.
For example, if you have kiddos and dogs you may know that having a large yard is something you will want in your home search. Similarly, you may know that you need a home with four bedrooms so the agent will weed out homes with small backyards and fewer than four bedrooms.
This will save you a lot of time when viewing homes.
Paying Too Much For A House
One of the most valuable tools a real estate agent has is comparative market analysis (CMA). The agent can use the MLS to find homes that are sold in a particular area in a certain period of time and form the current market price for the home.
Without this information, you might put an offer on a home that is priced way too high putting you in a negative equity position from the moment you purchase the home.
Reviewing The Home Inspection
This may seem like something most people can do but if there are 40 plus items on the report, it may get a bit overwhelming to decide what needs to be done and what can be put off for a bit.
An experienced agent will review the report and point out the little items that are simple and easy to fix as well as alert you to any issues with the home that may because to further negotiate with the seller.
Avoiding Issues That Come At Closing
Once you have made it through the showings, home inspection, offer process, and potential counteroffer, you can move ahead with the transaction and purchase the home. An agent will work with a lender and seller to get the home sold and avoid any issues that may throw off the whole purchase process.
It may be easy to locate a good home, submit an offer, and close a deal without a real estate agent but it is filled with potential risks.
Contact us today for any real estate questions you may have.
THE GROESBECK GROUP/ Compass
360-941-3734