With more technology than ever available right at your fingertips, why is it in your best interest to work with a real estate agent to buy a home?
I get it - we love to Google everything! And it’s easy to trust you are getting all the information. In fact, online articles make it seem like buying a home is simple! So let’s take a deep dive into why it’s still best to work with a professional real estate agent.
We’re going to review 3 topics:
- How technology is making it easier than ever to find the perfect home
- Why working with a skilled real estate agent is still your best option
- How to pick an excellent realtor to work with
Technology is Making Finding a Home Easier Than Ever
The part I love about today’s real estate technology is that it’s making it easier than ever to find the right home! It used to be that a home buyer was completely reliant on a real estate agent to reveal the homes that were for sale. Now you can search for your next home on any of the hundreds of websites and apps. Most of those sites will also send you notifications as soon as something new comes up for sale. Genius!
Technology also allows home buyers to do additional research on areas and neighborhoods. For instance, you can find detailed information on local school districts or you can check out what the neighborhood looks like by using Google Street View. I’d rather know ahead of time that the neighbor has 100 cars parked in their yard!
News articles on the internet can also give you a general idea of local real estate market conditions. Is it a competitive seller’s market? Or is it a softer buyer’s market? Usually local news articles love writing about these topics. I have noticed though that they are often a few weeks to a few months behind, which in a quickly shifting market may mean the info isn’t quite up to date. Also, news articles love to sensationalize real estate. Keep that in mind when the articles all sound so over the top - they probably are!
It’s also wonderful that there are so many resources on the internet regarding the home buying process. Though, there are SO many resources it can get confusing. Remember, these are great for getting a general idea on the process of buying a home but not so great for what it’s like in a specific area. And they definitely aren’t meant to guide you on how to be the best possible negotiator for yourself.
What the internet is terrible at is giving specific advice based on your situation and the local real estate market. It cannot accurately predict how much mortgage you qualify for. It cannot give you sage advice on what to offer on a particular home. And it definitely doesn’t care whether you or the home seller are the one getting the better deal!
Why It’s Best to Work with a Skilled Real Estate Agent
I hear it all the time, “All realtors are the same.” Ugh. Really?
It is true that we passed the same test and have the same App on our phone to unlock the lockboxes. But that’s where the similarities end in most cases.
I want you to work with someone who has more value than just unlocking doors. In fact, I’ll emphasize that it’s imperative you find someone who has knowledge and experience that will actually help you.
Buying a home is a massive undertaking and you deserve to work with a true professional.
What can an expert real estate agent offer you above what Google can?
- An in-depth understanding of your current real estate market and what you can expect as a home buyer buying in those market conditions.
- An in-depth understanding of the home buying process for your area. The process is similar nationwide but there are differences in every location. Sometimes there are even differences between nearby neighborhoods!
- Seeks out off-market homes for sale. There are many ways to do this: networking with other agents for homes coming on the market soon, reaching out to listings that expired off the market before they sold, or even cold calling neighborhoods that you are interested in buying in. However they do it, your real estate agent should be willing to go above and beyond to help you find the right home.
- Guidance in negotiating the best offer for you. True experts have studied negotiating and have plenty of real world experience. There is much more to negotiations than purchase price. There are also more than one part of a real estate transaction that warrants negotiating (don’t forget repairs!). Every scenario is different, so having someone by your side who has actually done it several times is beneficial to you.
- Can connect you with local experts. A savvy real estate agent can recommend home inspectors, local mortgage lenders, plumbers, contractors, and more. Before, during, and after your purchase your real estate agent can connect you with trusted tradespeople.
If you can’t tell, there are many differences between a door opener and a true pro!
How do you pick the right real estate agent?
1. Meet with them BEFORE viewing homes. Meet with more than 1 agent.
In a brief 45 minutes or hour you can learn so much about the prospective agents expertise and whether they are a good fit for you to work with. During your time together you can get to know one another, go over detailed market information pertinent to your purchase, get all your questions answered about the home buying process, and share the details of what you’d like to see in your next home. If an agent isn’t willing to sit down with you prior to showing homes or isn’t able to proficiently answer your questions during the meeting, they are not the right fit for you. That’s ok! It may take a couple meetings to find the right real estate agent to represent you.
2. Ask them how many home buyers they have helped in the last 12 months.
Almost every agent will tell you they are “Full Time.” But what you really need to know is that they are closing enough homes each year that they really are in the market and know the latest trends. This usually means an agent closing a minimum of 8 homes per year, though 10-15+ is even better. Then ask how many of those clients were buyers. Most realtors work with both home buyers and sellers, so you want to make sure that at least 25% of their sold homes were working with buyers. That way you know they are current on the trends of writing offers for today’s market.
3. Have them provide a list of references.
Before meeting with the agent you’ll want to scope out their online testimonials through their website, Zillow, Facebook, and/or Google. It’s always reassuring that a real estate agent has positive online testimonials. Before or during your meeting with them you’ll want to ask for a list of references. It’s not a normal practice, so they may need a day to send you some names. However, it’s great if they feel confident enough in their skills to have past clients who are willing to actually speak with you.
Ask the references questions about their experience working with the agent. What were the positives? How could the agent improve? Would they work with them again? Would they refer friends and family?
The goal of meeting with the real estate agents, reviewing their sales resume, and speaking with references is to make sure you pick a realtor who you trust to represent you, give you solid advice, and make the process less stressful (and hopefully fun!).
The Moral of the Story
The internet makes it seem like anyone can buy a home with little or no experience. It’s easy! No problem! You can do it!
What you don’t want is to wish you were being represented by your own professional AFTER you’ve written an offer and realize you don’t know what you are doing. That’s an easy way to overpay, not know about the condition of the home, and/or feel manipulated by the system.
Work with a real estate agent. Pick one who is excellent! I might have a referral for you :)
Call me today and we can get started today!