Why use a REALTOR®?
1. REALTORS® can help you wade through the cumbersome and often complicated paperwork that goes hand in hand with any real estate transaction, making sure the proper forms are filled out correctly and on time. This includes the crucial purchase agreement, which serves as the contract between a buyer and seller and is used to formally identify a purchase price; list terms and conditions pertaining to the sale time frame; and other details, such as a written commitment by the seller to cover the costs of any necessary repairs.
2. As members of their local, state, and national trade associations, REALTORS® can tap into the latest technologies serving the housing industry today. This includes websites and multiple listing services, as well as market reports detailing crucial data, such as pricing trends; time on the market; and historical sales activity in your neighborhood. In addition, REALTORS®‘ broad market knowledge often makes them experts when it comes to providing a detailed snapshot of where to obtain information about your neighborhood’s amenities and services, such as schools, zoning laws, and tax codes.
3. Buying or selling a home calls for solid negotiating power. A REALTOR® can assist with the critical negotiations included in every real estate transaction and help both buyers and sellers finalize the many details that compose a final purchase agreement. If you are a buyer, your REALTOR® can work on your behalf with a seller to negotiate a sale price, set a date for escrow closing, and determine what, if any, repairs you’d like the owner to complete as a part of the terms of the agreement, among other things. If you are a seller, your REALTOR®’s role may include arranging for showings with potential buyers and their REALTOR®, coordinating open houses, and negotiating a sale price, just to name a few. Your REALTOR® also can help you determine what, if any, repairs you may be responsible for, if requested by the buyer, and negotiate deadlines for their completion.
4. Your REALTOR® can assist with the coordination of the home-inspection process, and help ensure that the seller’s responsibilities for addressing a buyer’s requirements are met. He or she also may help with the identification of qualified contractors to help perform needed repairs.
5. Closing the deal takes much more than a handshake. A REALTOR® can provide objective support during the closing process, ensuring both buyer and seller have received the proper documentation for successfully completing a sale transaction and coordinating a final property walk-through.
6. When questions arise, ask your REALTOR®. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, your REALTOR®‘s role as a valuable resource may not end when you sign the closing documents. In fact, many questions arise for buyers and sellers long after a real estate transaction has been completed, and your REALTOR® may be qualified and eager to assist you wherever possible — this includes help with future real estate transactions.
