The Advantages of Working with a Buyer's Agent
You’ve made the decision to buy a home – now what? Should you try to go it alone? Should you work with a real estate agent? Should you work with a few? There are lots of advantages to working with a real estate agent, even in these days of online listings. A good agent will not just help find your dream home, but will also assist you throughout the real estate transaction. Here’s a list of ways your buyer’s agent can help you.
- Provide you with an unbiased opinion throughout your real estate transaction. Buying and selling real estate is an emotional process and a buyer’s agent can help a buyer make more objective decisions.
- Locate & preview suitable properties within your search area. These days, buyer’s can easily find listings online – however, the problem they’ll immediately encounter is that the vast majority of these listings are old and no longer valid. Real estate agents have access to listings as soon as they become available and can forward the most suitable properties directly to you. This will save you valuable time, energy, and frustration.
- An experienced real estate agent can point out potential problems and/or issues regarding the resale value of the property in the future. These are items that may not show up on a home inspection report, but are just as important.
- Provide you with additional neighborhood information on local schools, shopping, and the town
- Review property’s current condition and suggest expert inspection options and alternatives
- Research property background information, including time and amount of last sale, as well as recent sales information for comparable homes in the neighborhood
- Provide guidance on questions of property tax, and local utilities
- Provide guidance and assistance with putting together a buyer’s offer. Depending on your financial situation, price may not be the most important factor to you regarding the offer and closing terms. Timing, repair-work, financing, or other factors may be important to you and should be included as part of your offer. A buyer’s agent can help you decide how to structure your offer.
- Present the formal offer to seller’s representative and present any counter-offers from the seller to you
- Provide negotiation assistance with counter-offers and guidance towards the best possible contract terms
- Recommend local legal council for closing documents
Before you rush out to speak to a buyer’s agent, however, there are a few things you should do:
Get Pre-Approved For a Mortgage – You won’t waste time looking at homes you can’t afford and you won’t needlessly settle for less than you want.
Research Neighborhoods – By doing some research on your search area, you narrow down your search area and save yourself valuable time.
Create a Wish List – By narrowing down your search criteria, you won’t waste your valuable time looking at undesirable properties.
Interview Buyer’s Agents - Interview at least a few real estate agents before committing to any. This way you’ll find the best one to suit your needs.