I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t use a realtor, whether you’re purchasing or selling a home. The first thing that comes to mind on why you should use a realtor when buying a home is because it doesn’t cost you a dime.

If you’re buying a home, it’s the seller who pays the commission to the agent, not you. Imagine that — you are getting this incredible asset absolutely free.  If they don’t find you the home of your dreams, they don’t get paid.  Needless to say, your real estate agent is going to work very hard and use all of their resources to find you the perfect home.

When you use a realtor for your home purchase, you are receiving the best possible representation available. Your agent is invaluable in so many ways.

Related: Multiple Offers, How Do You Choose The Right One? – Tracey Hampson’s Real Estate Tip Of The Week

They have insights into the current market trend – Knowing if it’s a seller’s or buyer’s market will play a large part on how much you decide to offer.  If it’s a buyer’s market, there is more flexibility on the purchase price, but if it’s a seller’s market, it’s the exact opposite.

Your realtor will also have insights into the neighborhoods – If you’re looking for a home within a specific school district or you don’t want a neighborhood with Mello Roos in it, who better to guide you than your local real estate agent who knows the areas?

They’ll know what homes have sold and for how much – This is crucial when it comes to finding your dream home. If you have a budget of $350K and want a single family home, then it may not be a good idea to look in, say, the Woodlands. Your realtor will be able to show you homes that meet your wants, needs and budget.

A real estate agent will educate and protect you on the home buying process and the ever-changing purchase contract.

Knowing what to expect and when to expect it takes the stress out of the home buying process.

The real estate contract is one of the most difficult and litigious contracts to abide by. Realtors are trained, tested and trained again for the life of their career to ensure their clients and themselves are in compliance and safe from possible lawsuits. The real estate contract is ever changing and constantly being updated to meet the needs of today’s clients and to address previous lawsuits and prevent new ones. A realtor must be diligent on contingencies, timeframes, disclosures, inspections and recommendations, and conduct honest and fair dealings.

They will guide you through the various inspections and recommend what repairs you should ask for.

The most common inspections are the home inspection and the termite inspection, but there are plenty more that can be done. Your agent will recommend additional inspections if they’re needed.

When it comes to asking for repairs, your primary concern should be safety. This is not a Christmas list. By law, the seller doesn’t even have to respond to your request, so keeping it fair and within reason is crucial.

An agent has relationships with other local agents.

If your agent has relationships with the other realtors in the area, chances are your offer will be accepted before an out-of-area offer would. It makes sense; people like to work with people they know

Your realtor is a professional who does a plethora of things when it comes to real estate and their clients. They protect, inform, service, educate, advise, market and listen to their clients. Real estate agents are everything from negotiators to therapists when it comes to their clients.

About Tracey Hampson and Tracey’s Real Estate Tips:

I have had the pleasure of living and working as a realtor in Santa Clarita and the surrounding areas for more than 14 years and I love sharing real estate tips with others. Throughout my Santa Clarita real estate career I have had the privilege of assisting buyers and sellers of Santa Clarita homes with their individual real estate needs. I’m here for you as well.

I hope you enjoyed my real estate tip of the week and if you have any questions, concerns, wants or needs regarding real estate please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help.

Tracey Hampson
Century 21 Troop Real Estate
License 01429142
(661) 993-6124
[email protected]