No, we aren’t as cool as Superman but now that ANYTHING can be accessed from your phone, including every possible detail you can imagine about a home, why should you use a Realtor? You, the consumer, has almost the same level of information that a Realtor does, right? Read more to find out why using a Realtor can be a good idea.
Selling or buying a home can be long series of steps involving what’s likely to be your most prized financial asset. Experiencing a smooth transaction is not only important for your wallet, but also your sanity. A Realtor’s primary job is to protect your’s, the client’s, best financial interests. Just like you shouldn’t treat a broken leg without a doctor or handle a major legal dispute without an attorney, it’s a good idea to sell or buy a home using the professional assistance of a Realtor.
Naturally, every home buyer and seller wants to keep the most money for themselves during a transaction. It’s tempting to sell the home on your own, or just use Zillow to find your home and thereby saving the Realtor’s fees. However, a study conducted by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® found that 82 percent of real estate sales result from Realtors contacts with previous clients, referrals and other sources. Additionally, NAR concluded that most homes sell for 3 to 9.5 percent more when sold through a Realtor. Therefore, saving money on that commission may not be quite accurate.
Selling and/or buying your home with a Realtor yields abundant advantages, including the following:
- Realtors have access to Multiple Listing Services (MLS) to disburse information about your property to thousands of consumers via their Realtors. Zillow and the other sites have the same data BUT their data is often outdated causing frustration. Realtors also have other marketing vehicles at their disposal, such as open houses and referral networks. Through your Realtor’s marketing efforts, a much broader range of qualified buyers will be informed of your property’s availability.
- As a seasoned pro at negotiation skills and tactics, your Realtor can maintain objectivity in assessing buyers’ proposals and developing offers and counteroffers.
- Throughout the transaction, including appraisals, inspections and legally binding agreements, you can depend on your Realtor’s know-how to avoid any pitfalls. Sales transactions comprise intricate legal and regulatory requirements. Realtors are familiar with the regulations and can help you understand and adhere to them.
- Realtors work with their clients to address home improvements and tips that will enhance the home’s salability.
- Most importantly a good Realtor will be able to help you use all the information the internet can give you and turn it into knowledge. For example, a home seller may see that the home down the street sold for say $600,000 in 5 days. They may think that is what they can sell their own home for and in that short time period. What this FSBO home owner may not know is that the Realtor already had a relationship with another buyer who wanted to move into that specific neighborhood and were willing to pay the $600,000. This example and many more show that your Realtor not only has specialized knowledge about the business of selling real estate but they also have unique relationships that can help you incredibly.
If you have any questions about buying or selling homes in the Ventura County area, please contact me.
805-807-3987
realtortimmons@gmail.com