Some folks distress about whether to hire a real estate agent to represent them in buying or selling a home. Here are some good reasons to work with a professional agent.
- Fiduciary. A fiduciary is someone who represents you putting your best interest over their own. Attorneys are also Fiduciaries. Most financial planners are not.
Either way, you want a fiduciary to represent you, not a functionary (someone who does what someone else tells them to do). - Know different quality between neighborhoods. Having been through lots of properties they are familiar with different areas and the benefits of each, and how they are likely to fit best or worst with the buyer’s needs.
- Sense of what appeals to buyers and what does not. How to prepare a house for sale.
- Accurate view of the market. Where it is now and where it is likely to go. What cyclical trends are locally and how they effect.
- understand the contractual basics of the contracts and steps that need to occur to take it from offer to sold.
- Allow buyer and seller to remain at arms length. Can mitigate problems of understanding and concern between the 2 parties.
- Referrals to professional service providers. Proven folks who have done a good job in the past for the right price.
- Advice as to what is common practices within the industry. Leads to a smooth transaction. Know where the sticking points arise and can plan early to avoid them.
- Use standard contracts
- Get paid at close, so motivated for successful completion.
- Comply with state laws and regulations regarding seller requirements.
- Access to accurate sale information to determine right listing price.
- Experience negotiating for needs of the client. How it progresses and what is commonly acceptable to other agents and the opposing side.
- Facilitate special needs of the buyer/seller.
- Know where issues that may arise in some neighborhoods. HOA, flood insurance, CC&Rs, Mello Roos, homeless issues, etc.
The benefits/Results are:
Sellers are more likely to get the property for the highest price.
Buyers are most likely to have a successful completion, pay market prices, and find out what potential hazards with the property may be.
it makes the pricing of real estate very efficient.
provides protection from liability and potential damage and disputes that arise between parties.
provides for a smooth transaction process and avoids many of the common hichups.
makes it possible for buyers to know what they need to make a decision.
compliance with local and state laws.
