Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Real Estate Agent
If you haven’t noticed, you can find out how to do just about anything online. There’s so much information out there that you could probably learn how to buy and sell real estate on your own. But would you want to go into a deal without having representation? Chances are, the buyer or seller on the other side of the transaction usually will have a realtor which would make it more difficult for you. It would be like going to court without your lawyer present. Here are my top 7 reasons you should always hire a real estate agent. 1) Experience and education.
Hiring a real estate agent will save you time and energy. There really is no reason for doing all of your research on buying and selling if you have a solid agent who has the experience and education that you need. When searching for a good agent, you will want to search for someone who can get to know, like and trust. If you meet them, and you don’t like them, why would you want to do business with them? I would spend some good time here researching to find a good agent who is knowledgeable and who has the experience you are looking for. With it being 2018, everything is all about automation. You can get your groceries delivered to you, Amazon Prime deliver within 2 hours, the list goes on. This shows that we are busier than ever. You don’t have time to do all of this work on your own so why not hire a rock star agent who will give you more of your precious time back.
2) Knowledge of pricing
As mentioned above, agents have knowledge of comparable pricing. Whether you are buying or selling, they should be able to advise you on what the fair market value is for the property by running a CMA for you. Your real estate agents job is not to set the price of the home, but to advise you as to what the market is saying that the home is worth. 3) Knowledge of neighborhoods
Real estate agents practically live in their cars. They are out touring houses and neighborhoods at all hours, 7 days a week. They know what the up and coming neighborhoods are and they know what the comparable homes are selling for. They also can guide you to online websites that will give you more knowledge of the schools in the area, crime etc. This information will be helpful when picking a home in a specific neighborhood that you don’t know much about. 4) Knowledge of market conditions
All agents probably belong to their local MLS system. They pay good money for their technology each year and they depend on systems that will help give them the data they need in order to serve you more efficiently. They will know the average days on market in your neighborhood, price per sq.ft, as well as average list price and average sold price. 5) Negotiation skills
Have you have had a yard sale at your house? One thing that always happens with me is, you start going through your stuff you want to sell and it’s hard to put a price tag on some things. Kids toys, old bikes, and anything that can bring back memories is sometimes hard to let go. You have an emotional attachment to those things. And then you get offended when someone shows up to buy your favorite childhood toy and they offer you less money for it. It’s because you are attached to that object.
Same goes in real estate. You need an agent there by your side, that doesn’t have that emotional attachment to your home that can represent you in a professional way and guide you in the right path. They should be able to use their skills and negotiating tactics to help make sure they are keeping your private conversations confidential, and are always working within your best interest.
6) Answering your questions after closing
By the time you are done closing on your house, you will probably forget everything that you just learned. It happened so fast and now your thinking about what color paint you need to pick out from the hardware store. Your agent legally has to keep the closing documents up to 5 years (in Indiana) so if you ever need a copy of tax purposes or anything else, they should be able to help out with that. Also, if you are looking for a contact for a contractor, or vendor, your agent should have great contractors that they have used in the past that should be able to assist you. Going that route will save you the headache from trying to find someone on your own. 7) Develop long term relationships
A real estate transaction should never be a one and done type deal. You’ll know you have a good agent when they always go above and beyond and put you first. They should make you feel like you're their only client.
Most agents also work on referrals. Getting started in the business is hard, so trying to repeat that process would wear you down. They should put more focus on building a real relationship with you so that your friendship should last forever. Eventually you will need to downsize, up-size, or relocate and your agent should be there for you when the time comes! Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. Thanks!