Top 5 Reasons to Use A Realtor to Buy A Home

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Source: California Association of Realtors

Top 5 Reasons Why You Need a Realtor

Most buyers use a Realtor. The top 5 reasons are:

Price Negotiation
Negotiating Terms Of Sale
Determining Comparable Homes For Sale
Determining Afforability
Find The Right Home

#1 Price Negotiation

Your Realtor will give you a negotiating strategy.

Your Realtor will show you what homes are selling for in the neighborhood. They will discuss a strategy on how to get the house for the best value. They will write an offer that will showcase your strengths. They will let you know what to expect throughout the process. This includes:

Your Realtor helping you make the lowest offer possible without offending the seller.
Your Realtor giving you advice on what to counter back on.
Your Realtor letting you know that the negotiations had run their course.

#2 Negotiating Terms of Sale

While price is the most significant item on the offer; the terms are still important. This can include:

Your Realtor telling you how much money you should put down for binder. They will tell you what is normal and how to make your contract stronger.
Your Realtor discussing with you the normal closing cost in the transaction. Then your Realtor will give you an estimate of how much money you need to bring to closing.
Your Realtor discussing the contingencies that will protect your interest. They will let you know what is normal and what they can try to work in to give you extra protection.
Your Realtor discussing the importance of the closing date. They will tell you the normal time frame for closing in your area. They will know if you can do a quick closing or if your lender or the seller needs more time.
Your Realtor reviewing the personal property with you. They will make sure you are aware of everything that is staying and that is going. And to make sure anything you want to stay will be staying.
Your Realtor helping you review the inspection report. They will let you know what the seller is likely to fix and what they many not.

#3 Determining Comparable Homes For Sale

The first step in determining the market value of the home is to determine the comparable homes for sale.

This is more than finding homes in the same area with similar sizes and year built.

It is also considering:

Their location in the community
The views
The properties' extra features and their popularity
The usability of the floorplans
The different updates and remodeling
The terms of the sales used in comparison
The negotiating ability of the Realtors involved in the sale

#4 Determining Affordability

Your Realtor will do a market analysis of the home.

Your Realtor will explain how they arrive at their market value. They will let you review the comparable homes they use. So you have total transparency in arriving at the home's value. Then you can determine if the home is affordable for you.

#5 Finding The Right Home

It is easier for a buyer to find a home on the internet now then any other time before. Yet, there are many problems with internet searches:

Information Overload - Sometimes you end up with too many properties, in too many areas. A Realtor will narrow down the choices for you.
Not Specific Enough Features - As wonderful as technology is today; it's not perfect. There might be something you are looking for in the home that you can't list in your home search. Your Realtor has access to a more full featured search to find the exact home you are looking for. But more importantly, they have been in many of the homes and can pick the right one for you.
Internet Has Wrong Information - Some internet searches are not updated right away when a home has gone under contract. So you can fall in love with a home that is already under contract.
Your Home Isn't On the Internet - When you are working with a Realtor they don't just look at homes currently on the market. They reach out to their network to see if anyone has a home for you coming to the market. They prospect through the neighborhoods that work for you to see if anybody wants to sell their home to you. They dig deep in ways you can't to make sure you see every home possible.
Your Realtor Knows More - Once you look at a few homes with your Realtor they will get a better idea of what you are looking for. They can then suggest other homes and communities you might not of considered.