Why You Need a Real Estate Professional

The integration of real estate into the internet has revolutionized the way in which home buyers think. It has become easier for buyers to find a home on the internet in the past few years. Today, buyers often ask the question, “Why do I need an agent?”

Home buying is not something someone typically does often. It’s not an every day event or even a yearly event. It can be emotional and stressful, especially when you don’t know real estate and understand the laws, rules and regulations involved in transactions. You’ll need someone with knowledge to spell out the details of the transaction. Remember, this is one of the biggest purchasing decisions you will likely make. It is not something to take lightly.

REALTORS® Know Real Estate

REALTORS® deal with real estate issues and concerns on a daily basis. They have been educated extensively on the laws and regulations that influence the market. By law agents are required to get continued education to renew their license ensuring they are always up-to-date on the latest real estate news and laws. Further, as Professionals, they have access to tools and an endless array of contacts in the industry to help YOU find the perfect home.

The good news for buyers’ is that lenders will never lend more money than a home is worth. So, you can rest easy knowing that you will never overpay. But there are other problems that can haunt you if you’re not careful. For example, REALTORS® are trained to ensure all necessary disclosures are given completely and in a timely manner. There are many disclosures differing within each state. Some disclosures may include: natural hazards, mello-roos and bonds, smoke detector, lead-based paint, mold, wildfire zones, inundation zones, and Megan’s Law. Do you know all the required disclosures for your state? It can be difficult to keep up with the ever growing list of disclosures! Laws change regularly and if you’re not involved in the real estate market on a regular basis you may fall short of providing yourself ideal representation.

Other potential problems that buyers’ may encounter in the buying process involve homeowner association rules and regulations. For example, you’re a dog lover and have three but you just purchased a condo that doesn’t allow pets. What can you do? Nothing! You can sell the condo but that’s about it. You’re legally bound by your agreement with the association and you’re unlikely to change their rules as a new member.

Be smart: Know that as much as you think you know… there is always more to know. Trust that you’ll likely forget something in the process. Hiring a real estate agent will save you the trouble in your attempt to research every problem you may run into during the home buying process. You’ll not only save yourself time researching but help your family avoid potential risks.

Further, real estate professionals are trained and experienced in helping people find homes to suit their needs and their budget. While you may want to move to a certain area, you may not have the budget to do so. Or it could be the other way around. Perhaps you don’t realize you can afford to buy in a particular area. Hiring a REALTOR® to help you determine your ability to buy in certain areas will save you valuable time. Once you’ve been pre-approved for a loan your agent can begin the task of finding the perfect home for you. They will tailor your search criteria based upon different factors including, but not limited to:

1. Price range you’ve been pre-approved for
2. Number of bedrooms desired
3. Number of bathrooms desired
4. Areas and communities of interest to you
5. Special features such as pool, yard, garage, main floor bedroom, etc.

Your REALTOR® will then sift through all the results of homes matching your criteria to find the best homes to show. If there are many homes matching your criteria and in your price range, it can be grueling to look through them all yourself.

Once you’ve decided to hire an agent to assist you in the buying process, you’ll need to find an agent that will be able to understand YOUR needs. Not every agent will be the right agent for you.