If you’re preparing to buy a house, you’re probably thinking about hiring a real estate agent. Some people don’t prefer to work with real estate agents because they’re not sure who pays the broker fee and other potential expenses, or because of bad experiences in the past. However, working with a real estate agent can ease your work of buying a house.
According to research by statista.com, In 2019 alone, 6 million homes were sold by individuals and companies like http://movoto.com/. This number is expected to rise over the years. With so many houses on sale, you need to have a guiding hand to help you choose the right one that best fits your needs.
Here are some reasons why you need to hire a real estate agent when buying your home.
1. Agents Know Market Trends
Agents have extensive knowledge of the current real estate market trends. They know many aspects of the housing market and how unemployment and mortgage interest rates can affect it. An agent may also help you to learn more about the sale of homes.
When buying a home, you need to have data for the average sales prices, median, average square per foot of the property, and list-to-sold price ratios. Ransacking the internet for this information may be a tedious process. But if you hire a real estate agent, they’ll help you acquire such information quickly and fasten your buying or investing process in a property.
Besides, agents may also brief you about neighborhoods close to excellent schools that have the potential to increase market value over the years significantly. Such information may be vital for you when you’re deciding on the neighborhood you want to invest and settle in.
2. Agents Can Help You Spot Potential Problems in a House
When an owner is selling a house, he needs to ensure it’s in good condition. That way, he may attract many buyers and sell the property quickly. However, some sellers may want to sell houses that are not in great shape and could be potential disasters. Worse still, most buyers don’t know how to appraise a home to identify potential problems. According to some research, 30 million Americans live in houses that pose serious health and safety issues.
You can avoid spending money on unnecessary repairs once you buy a house by seeking help from a realtor. Not only do they know how to identify hidden problems that you may not see, but they may also help you identify issues related to roof leaks, furnaces, mold, and insects. Having such useful information before making a purchase may save you from throwing thousands of dollars down the drain.
3. Agents Can Help You Get a Home That Suits Your Needs and Budget
When you intend to buy a house, you need to have a basic idea of the number of bedrooms, swimming pools, and bathrooms. However, so many houses may have those qualities, making decision-making a time-consuming task.
Because most realtors know the properties on sale in your neighbourhood, they can quickly help you get a house that suits your preferences and budget. They’ll shortlist houses for you based on your preferences because they know the real estate market’s homes. That not only saves time, but it may also make your buying process stress-free and smooth.
4. Agents Will Help You Know Certified House Sellers
Realtors work with many people; thus, they know many professionals. Most of them have a list of certified providers they’re working with, or those they’ve worked with in the past. Working with that list may save you from researching individually for appraisers, real estate lawyers, mortgage professionals, and inspectors.
Taking advantage of an agent’s network of professionals will save you time and help you build your team of professionals to resort to if you intend to buy another property.
5. Agents Will Help You to Negotiate
Both buyers and sellers wish to get the best deal possible. To achieve this, one needs to be a master negotiator. As a buyer, you may find negotiating with the seller a challenging task because of your lack of experience. However, using a realtor to negotiate deals for you may save you from a lot of stress.
Most realtors are experienced negotiators because they negotiate deals daily. They understand what works best and what doesn’t. Using their analysis of real estate competition within the area, they can build a strong case and help you get the best property at the best price.
6. Agents Can Assist You Access Off-Market Listings
If you’re a property investor, knowing off-market listings may widen your choice of selection. Most MLS listings and property search sites may show you the variety of property sold within an area. However, there may be cases where a property seller may not want others to know that he’s selling. As a result, he may not list his home or property for sale. In such cases, only agents are privy to such information.
Therefore, if you’re a property buyer looking for an off-market property, you need to work with a real estate agent. That is because they can access both listed and off-market property that’ll help you to secure the best investment property at a lower price. The more options you have as a buyer, the higher your chances of finding a house that fits your preferences.
7. Agents Will Help You Save Energy and Time
Buying a real estate property is a lengthy process. You may need to book many appointments and fill many documents. With the help of a realtor, however, this work is easier. Agents can handle requests, offers, settlement statements, and tricky contract documents for you as you attend to other matters.
Because they are well versed with the processes involved with buying houses, they may make the purchasing process convenient and ensure nothing goes wrong. They may also protect you from being bogged with the marketing calls and tactics of sellers.
The Bottom-line
Though it’s easy to overlook a realtor’s importance when buying property, they can help you seal a deal quickly. Because their success at work depends on their services, most of them give their best to get referrals and recommendations. You want to hire a realtor the next time you’re buying a property to get the best value for your money.
