In a world full of DIY and quick research, it’s easy to think you can go about buying or selling a house on your own. That’s probably why you see so many “for sell by owner” signs driving through neighborhoods.
And while there may be a few successes (i.e. a sold property), the results are typically subpar. In 2022, it was reported that the average for sale by owner home “sold for $225,000 compared to $330,000 for agent-assisted home sales” (National Association of REALTORS®).
While we think getting an extra $105,000 is worth partnering with a licensed agent, let’s answer the question of why you need to work with a realtor in your home buying or selling journey.
Discovering your dream home starts with a call to The Tomczak Team at 832-458-8519.
What A Realtor Does For Prospective Home Buyers
Realtors are an asset that you want to take advantage of as a home buyer. But what do they actually do for you? And why should you find a realtor in the home buying process?
First, they do a lot – especially behind the scenes – to make what’s already a potentially stressful situation as easy as possible. Don’t believe us on the stress? Zillow reported that “more than 65% of Gen Z buyers and 61% of millennial buyers cried at least once when going through the process of purchasing their home” (PR Newswire).
Your realtor or buyer’s agent will first make sure that you have all your financial ducks in a row – starting with getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Don’t have a lender? Your realtor should have a trusted network of providers to refer you to.
They also filter your wants, needs, and desires in your future home. With all that information, they’ll guide you through ideal neighborhoods, school systems, and other factors that may be important to you.
They also advocate on your behalf and negotiate your offer – pre- and post-inspection. This is imperative as the situation can drastically change when you get a “peek underneath the hood”.
Finally, your realtor will get you across the finish line by communicating with the seller’s agent, monitoring your financing, and getting you to the closing table – with keys in hand.
What A Realtor Does For Prospective Home Sellers
On the other side of the closing table, a seller’s agent or listing agent provides a wealth of information to set you up for a profitable sale. That includes staging advice, pricing recommendations, and marketing your listing.
How your house looks when prospective buyers walk through it can influence their imagination, perspective, and motivation to move into your home. A good realtor will advise you on what to declutter, how to rearrange your furniture, and how to create a clean slate to build a vision upon.
Additionally, realtors will compare your home to other houses in the area to price competitively. While the goal is to get you the highest price possible, you don’t want to outprice your property – thereby extending the listing timeline.
Lastly, they will market your listing through a myriad of strategies – including open houses, SEO, social media, email marketing, etc.
Once the listing is public, they filter through the offers, qualify the buyers, and negotiate the best terms. This is all to ensure that you’re coming out on top and in a timely manner.
Looking for a realtor? Give us a call at 832-458-8519.
5 Benefits Of Working With A Realtor
So now you know what they do, evaluate some of the extra benefits of working with a realtor.
Access To More Properties
Because of their license, they have access to more property listings and valuable information that you may not be able to see using the MLS – or Multiple Listing Service – as a consumer. This is extremely beneficial to you because they can run comparatives (or comps) for pricing and negotiations. Realtors can also narrow down your home search based on your wants, needs, and desires to streamline the houses you view.
When navigating the MLS on your own, your search criteria may be leaving your dream home off the table.
Expert Negotiation To Advocate For Your Best Interests
One of the most important but softer skills, excellent agents will use their negotiation skills to advocate for your best interests. You want someone that is relentless to get you the best deal for you. That includes crafting an offer that the other party wants to accept as well as making sure that you’re compensated for any additional fixes required on the property.
When hiring a realtor, ask these questions:
- What do you typically do for clients to get to the closing table?
- On average, how long does it take to close?
- What strategies do you employ to get me the best deal?
A Pulse On The Market
Additionally, one of the big benefits of working with a realtor is their pulse on the market. Because they live and breathe real estate, they understand the interest rates, market type, what’s normal/abnormal, and how to navigate it all. Unless you work in the industry full time, it will be difficult for you to make a clear assessment of what’s going on.
Offer Objective Information & Opinions
As previously noted, buying or selling a home is an emotional journey. You’re moving onto the next season of your life with this decision. And that can put a lot of pressure on you. It also doesn’t help when there are too many opinions at play. As an example, your mom, father-in-law, and everyone in between will have advice about buying or selling your home. While some of this advice may be sound, it’s hard to tell if you’re not an expert in the industry already. This is why you need firm facts to make a sound financial decision.
Real estate agents, without the emotional investment, offer objective information and opinions for your specific situation. You may find this to be one of the most beneficial parts of working with an agent.
Tap Into Their Network
Lastly and probably the biggest benefit of working with a realtor, you now have access to their network of providers. That typically includes inspectors, loan officers, title companies, and home service providers. After working on several deals, your agent will have a good understanding of which professionals are worthy of referring to repeatedly. Additionally, they’ll know which ones fit your needs.
So instead of Googling and potentially being burned by sketchy providers, ask your realtor for their recommendations. You may find a professional that you want to stay in touch with long after the home buying process is over!
Partner With Negotiation Experts, The Tomczak Team, SOLID Real Estate Services
At the end of the day, it’s a privilege to serve you as a realtor. We hold a key part in either transitioning into or out of your home. So when you’re ready to list your home with the top negotiators, then it’s time to call The Tomczak Team, SOLID Real Estate Services at 832-458-8519!