According to the NAR 2013 profile of home buyers and sellers, 88 percent of both buyers and sellers worked with a real estate agent. But were they using them for all their worth? Maybe not.
Real estate agents do more than just open lock boxes and help with the paperwork – they are your guide through the entire buying and selling process. Let them do the hard work for you and make sure you take advantage of your real estate agent for all the knowledge and services they have to offer. Here are just 4 things your agent can do – that will you save you time and money – that you should take advantage of.
1. Treat your agent like your therapist
The best way to get the most out of working with your real estate agent is to divulge everything about yourself. Share your short and long term goals, your wants, dreams, fears, etc. The more you share, the better they can build a personalized real estate strategy for you. You can skip the traumatic monkey bars incident from kindergarten, but you get the picture.
Whether you’re buying or selling you will need a plan and the only way to make one is to sit down and get everything out on the table. If your agent doesn’t know that you only plan to stay in a new house for 2 years, they could be showing you all the wrong homes. Real estate decisions you make today affect your long term future so make sure to share your big picture goals and vision.
2. Let them teach you
There is a lot that goes into buying and selling a home like paperwork, contracts, legal maneuvering and more. Your agent of course is licensed and prepared to deal with all of these things but you should understand all of it too. Understanding your responsibilities is crucial – so let your agent teach you!
Ask questions – no matter how big or small – because the more you know, the easier the process will be. You never want to be ignorant to something you are liable for in the future.
3. Use their network resources
An agent who has worked in the area for several years will have industry resources – use them as your own. When buying, your agent will often know about homes that are for sale even before they’re officially listed. Also, if your agent is friends with other realtors in the area and has a good working relationship, transactions will go even more smoothly.
Don’t forget to ask your agent for recommendations as well when it comes to other professionals like lenders, home inspectors and contractors. There’s no need to do your own research and vetting when your agent has already done it for you. If you choose an agent that you trust then it’s easy to trust their professional network as well.
4. Let your agent do the negotiating
Negotiating a real estate sale is a lot more than just one conversation, it’s usually says or weeks of offers, counteroffers and tons of paperwork with all the contract drafts and changes. After an inspection is done your agent can negotiate repairs, plus there is the question of whether the current appliances will be a part of the home purchase or not, the list goes on and on.
The easiest thing to do is keep communication open between yourself and your agent, share what’s most important to you in the end and let your agent handle the rest. They are not emotionally attached to each and every decision (unlike yourself) and as such they hold more negotiating power. For more on about the negotiating a home sale or purchase read about what buyers can expect and what sellers can expect during the process.
The right real estate agent makes your life easier so if you are in the market to buy a sell a home, start looking for one to team up with. Search online and find an agent near you or contact us and we’ll do the searching for you. Call 888-870-1142 or email us at clientservices@firstteam.com.
