Why Hire A Real Estate Agent?

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You are ready to Buy or Sell your home. You think that you could maybe do it yourself to save money. If you can see into the future and know that your transaction will close quickly without a hitch at the price you want, or you are an agent yourself, then you don’t need to hire a real estate agent. But complications could cost you thousands of dollars if you don’t have proper representation. Even real estate agents themselves run into hiccups with their own transactions. It’s kind of like doing home improvement projects. You try doing it yourself to save money but if something goes wrong or it’s more complicated than you thought, you find that you spend a lot more than you anticipated and sometimes end up hiring a professional anyway.

A great real estate agent will advocate for, guide, and do their very best for you. Real estate transactions are like snowflakes: no two are exactly alike and they can be very complex. There are legalities in closing a real estate transaction and licensed agents are familiar with many of these laws. Agents are not lawyers but they could avoid you having to seek one out. Buying or selling a house is one of, if not the most expensive and important transactions you will ever have so the process should never be taken lightly.

So how do you choose a great agent? Don’t automatically go with a name that you’ve seen heavily advertised or has the most transactions in your neighborhood. Always meet with the agent, ask lots of questions, and determine whether or not you will work well together BEFORE signing an agreement. My friend went with the most popular agent in her neighborhood without interviewing her and ended up not really liking nor trusting her. She said the agent was very aggressive, wasn’t a great listener, and was more focused on the bottom line.

Referrals would be the best way to hire an agent. Ask people you know and trust for recommendations. Get at least 3 names and interview each one! You’ll want to ensure that you will work well with your agent and feel confident that they are trustworthy and will do their very best for you. Also, just because your friend raved about someone doesn’t mean you will have the same experience so take the time to meet before deciding. A great agent will always have YOUR best interest in mind, not their own, and will work hard to ensure that everything goes well.

As your agent, I will put you first, advocate for you and include or arrange services such as:

• Listen to and act on your needs and concerns.

• Review comparable properties.

• Research data to price your home right to sell quickly. (Sellers)

• Calculate a sound offer. (Buyers)

• Have professional home pictures taken. (Sellers)

• Stage your home if needed. (Sellers)

• Arrange temporary storage.

• List and market your home. (Sellers)

• Send you listings and email alerts of homes that fit your criteria. (Buyers)

• Print out listings for you when looking at homes so that you can take notes. (Buyers)

• Set up home showings at convenient times.

• Hold Open Houses. (Sellers)

• Write up and review legal contracts and documents that will help avoid legal complications.

• Order Title Insurance Policies. (Sellers)

• Adhere to a timeline once you enter into a Buy/Sell contract.

• Effectively communicate and negotiate pricing and terms with the other party’s agent for you.

• Provide references for other service professionals such as lenders, inspectors, etc.

• Arrange and accompany you at your closing.

• Confer with my colleagues when warranted.

• Save you time and minimize stress.

When you’re ready to Buy/Sell, please give me a call! I will take you out to lunch or coffee and we’ll begin by reviewing your priorities and timelines. I promise to take great care of you and make your transaction as smooth as can be!

Things you should know:

• As a Seller, you pay both the Buyer’s and Seller’s agents’ commissions.

• As a Buyer, your agent’s commission is paid by the Seller. So hiring an agent to assist you is a no brainer as it is essentially “free”.

• When buying a new build, Builders may not offer any concessions but if you have an agent, they often pay your agent a 3% commission (that’s $15,000 on a $500,000 home). If you don’t have an agent, the Builder usually does NOT offer the 3% directly to you. Builders sometimes have their own agents that you could sign an agreement with but this is not advisable. If there are complications, you cannot count on the Builder's agent to advocate for you over the Builder. If you hire me as your agent on a new build purchase, I will rebate a portion of my commission towards your closing costs.

• When hiring a discount broker, it could save you money but beware. You may not get full service which can be problematic and costly, especially if there are complications. Also, if you are the Seller, Buyers’ agents might not show your property to their clients if the commission offered to the Buyer agent is lower than normal. (Note: This is unethical practice to purposely not show a qualified property due to low commission but sadly, it does happen.)

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