I always get questions about what it is I actually do. What value does a realtor bring to the table? Or, even better, what value does any real estate agent bring to the table? If the only thing I do is take pictures of your home and post them online, how could I possibly be worth the thousands of dollars of commission? Well, if the only thing your agent is doing is posting your online, then you need a new realtor! Allow me to introduce you to a few ways bring tremendous value to you when if you are looking to buy or sell a home.
Update clients on the market
The first thing a good realtor does is update the clients on what the market is doing. Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? What is the average time on the market for homes in my area? The answers to questions like these will greatly influence the way you negotiate offers. You need to know whether you should attempt to make a low offer on a home and save money, or present the highest offer possible. Being without this information is like a poker player making bets without ever looking at their cards!
For Home Sellers: Find Qualified Buyers
When I talk to a lot of home owners, such for sale by owners, they believe they believe that they can do everything I can do, save thousands on the commission, and get their home sold. To put it simply, there is one big reason why real estate agents are worth the commission: they put your home in front of all the qualified buyers who are looking for a home like yours, and fast. Yes, you can take pictures of your home, put it on Zillow, and get your home viewed by all the people who browse homes on the site.
The problem is that many of those people are not ready to buy now. They are simply browsing homes, to see what is out there. They might be looking around at other homes in the area for decorating ideas. Or maybe they are just looking right now, but will not be ready to buy for another 6-8 months. Do you really want to wait that long?
You might wonder where most buyers who are actually ready to buy a home go? They go and find a realtor. The reason is because it doesn’t cost them anything for this service. Buyer’s agents are paid out of the commission that the seller’s agent, or listing agent, makes from selling the home. Even if buyers do not use an agent, that commission is still being paid, so they might as well use an agent and all their expertise.
To make sure that your home sells as fast as possible, a good agent who is selling your home will immediately put your home in front the network of agents who have qualified buyers looking for homes just like yours. There is no faster way to sell your home faster, or for more money.
For Home Buyers: Protect your interests
For people looking for a home, your realtor can show you all the available homes that fit your criteria in an instant. They may even be able to suggest other areas that you did not think of. They can update you on homes they are new on the market as soon as they come available.
Once you have found your perfect home, your agent can show you what other homes in the area are selling for, making sure that you do not pay too much. They can also make sure that the home you are looking at qualified for the type of financing that you have, making sure that you don’t waste time or money going after a home that you can’t get! I have seen many instances where a deal falls through because it could not get financed, but only after the buyer aid for the inspection and appraisal!
On top of this, all of these services are offered to the buyer for free! How so? As mentioned before, the buyer’s agent is paid from the commission that the seller’s agent makes, so buyers don’t have to worry about it. It’s already built into the price, so even if you did not use an agent, you would still have to pay for it, so you might as well use one!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me! Thanks and have a great day!