Why Use A Realtor To Buy A Home
Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions an individual will ever make. Our real estate reporters and editors focus on educating consumers about this life-changing transaction and how to navigate the complex and ever-changing housing market. From finding an agent to closing and beyond, our goal is to help you feel confident that you're making the best, and smartest, real estate deal possible.
why use a realtor to buy a home
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Negotiating on a home purchase, of course, takes skill. But if the seller lowers the purchase price to reflect the lack of agent fees, that means a smaller mortgage and lower monthly payments for you.
At the very least, hire a real estate attorney early on to review the purchase agreement and closing documents. Buying a home is a large commitment, and the documents can be complicated. An experienced lawyer will be able to advise you and have language incorporated into the purchase and sale agreement to protect your interests.
You might think it is easy enough to find a home online without the help of an agent. But an agent will lead the search, quickly finding available homes that pop up during the day and helping you discern which ones are best to tour.
You might be looking for a home in a town you grew up in or have lived for many years, where your knowledge can be a valuable asset. But real estate agents who specialize in a particular area might have even more expertise than you, especially if you start looking at homes in communities and neighborhoods with which you are less familiar.
A purchase contract, for example, should include precisely worded contingencies that address whether you can withdraw from a purchase if certain problems turn up during a home inspection and whether you can move the closing date back if you have problems selling your current home.
We all know it can be browse the internet for your next home but when it comes time to actually purchase a home, working with a real estate agent can make a huge difference. A buyers agent will take the time to help you find the right home and place you on the path of homeownership.
With millions of active real estate agents across the country, you have your pick at finding the right agent to complement your personality and one who will help you get exactly what you need from your next (or first) home.
One of the best features of working with real estate agents is that they fully understand the city they work in. For you, this translates into market knowledge, neighborhood background and real estate insights you may not otherwise be privy to. This will come in handy when you have specifics about what kind of neighborhood you want to live in, how far you want to commute to work, or what kind of schools you want your kids to attend. For example, you might find a home that you really adore; an agent will be able to tell you more about the neighborhood as far as things like the quality of the schools, crime rates or pending commercial development.
The real estate market is one that changes from week to week. Some changes are small like minor price fluctuations in a neighborhood, while others are more significant like interest rates. Each state, city and small municipality has their own real estate markets beyond what is happening on a national level. Real estate agents are constantly monitoring these changes for their buyers which keeps you informed of all of these volatile details so you can purchase your new home at the best possible time.
Real estate agents understand all of the complex processes that take place in a real estate transaction. For instance, the home inspection and being able to interpret unfamiliar details effectively to you. An agent will also understand communications from your loan officers and underwriters which will help you feel organized and highly aware of what is happening in your property transaction. As issues arise, or information is needed from you, your agent can quickly advise you on how to retrieve anything needed so your purchase can progress with less stress.
In tough times, most people are looking to cut costs any way they can. And in a home purchase, who wouldn't want to save that extra 3 percent -- an extra $3,000 per $100,000 of the sale price? That's typically what buyer's agents make on real estate transactions, and most experts think it's money well spent.
It's true that anyone can shop for a house, and even get a peek inside, without formally signing on with a real estate agent. But unless you have time to make home shopping a part-time job, an agent might be able to match you with the perfect property much faster.
Say you want a swimming pool. Or don't want a swimming pool. Or maybe you want a fenced-in yard for the dog or a basement playroom for the kids. If you're looking for something specific, a real estate agent is the person whose job it is to know if there's a house out there to fit your needs, and he or she will hold your hand through the deal to boot. Let's look at some of the top benefits of using an agent to buy a home.
Not only can agents provide all the data on local home sales that you want to see, but they can also bring assets to the deal that come from years of watching waves of transactions in the neighborhood.
Often, the touchiest part of a real estate purchase involves the delicate dance of requesting repairs. A real estate agent will be able to identify trouble that you may not see, as well as recommend a good independent home inspector who will provide a detailed report on problems with the house.
Though most homes for sale are widely available for buyers to assess on Web sites, in some cases, sellers don't want the fact that they're selling to be widely publicized. In those cases, only the real estate agents know the houses are for sale.
Sometimes health problems, financial problems or divorce factor into the need for privacy. Or sometimes, people don't want the sale advertised during the holidays. Either way, working with a real estate agent gives you access to homes you might otherwise miss seeing.
A REALTOR or real estate agent will have access to real estate property listings, so they know which homes are on the market and what features they have. Great agents are very familiar with their local markets.
Do you know how to draw up an ironclad purchase offer? Can you read an inspection report? Buying a home involves a lot of documentation. A REALTOR can help you manage the mountain of paperwork and draw your attention to important issues.
Remember to negotiate in writing and keep records of emails or other written exchanges between you and the seller. You may have to put an inspection contingency in your offer that gives you an out if major issues are found with the home in order to cancel the sale.
House projects are expensive but generally not nearly as expensive as buying a house. For this reason, some buyers try to buy a house without a realtor. Listing agents and buyer's agents typically each get a 3 percent commission. Usually, it is paid by the seller but considered when setting the sale price on a $310,000 house (the median home sale price in the third quarter of 2019), $18,600. Provided the home buyer can get the price they want without the help of a real estate agent, there is a potential to save a lot of money.
But not all home sales will have a 6 percent commission fee, even if real estate agents are involved. The commission structure is changing as agents do less work than in the pre-Internet age. Buyers search for homes online. Listing agents have lockboxes (so they don't need to open a house for buyers to view it). Automated systems allow buyers set up home showing appointments. For all these reasons, commissions are often negotiated below 6 percent.
Buying a house is a complicated, expensive and timely process. Even with the help of a real estate agent, it usually takes at least three months or longer to move from house-hunting to closing and moving in. A buyer's agent will represent your interests and is familiar with the area you are focused on. Realtors are familiar with home prices and market conditions and can be much more helpful than going to open houses alone. A good agent will guide buyers through the entire process, from house-hunting and price negotiation to setting up inspections and appraisals. Realtors get all the paperwork ready for the closing.
One of the key things real estate agents do is help buyers identify potential homes. For out-of-state buyers, real estate agents fill a crucial gap. They attend open houses for buyers and lead a buyer on real-time virtual tours. Good real estate agents also manage the process of appraisals, inspections, and repairs. Surprisingly, this scenario is not as uncommon as it may seem: One in three people in 2017 reported buying a house without first seeing it in person.
Sometimes buyers are buying a house they know well. They could be buying it from parents, aunts or uncles, or from a close friend. They could also be buying a home from a neighbor. In these cases, negotiations can be low-key and friendly. Buyers have also already scaled the biggest challenge of home buying: finding the right property. A 2018 report found that 56 percent of buyers said finding the right property was the biggest challenge. 041b061a72