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8 Reasons Why REALTORS® Will Be NeededFOREVER!Posted by Joe Samson on Monday, October 24th, 2016 at 2:29pm.

In certain situations it’s important to have the expertise of a trained and experienced professional. After all, their time in theclassroom and on the job has provided them with insight that can help you when you need it the most.

While this might remind you of a time when you needed to see a doctor or another professional, what if you’re about tobuy or sell a home? This situation, while different from prescribing a remedy to your problem, still requires the expertisethat only an experienced real estate agent can provide.

Thinking of hiring an agent to help you buy or sell? Below you’ll find 8 reasons why it’s essential to work with a realestate agent.

1.  A Good Agent Will Focus on Educating vs. Selling to a Client

It’s no secret that agents are dedicated to selling to their clients, but a good agent isn’t going to stop there. They will alsoeducate you on the entire process so you understand what to expect and situations that may come up once the buying orselling process begins. The agent, just as you, wants to make sure you make a smart and educated decision.

Let’s say you’re a seller and ready to get your home off the market so you can move. Is your property really ready for themarket? Should you leave up your decorations or have professional home staging done? What about the price, is it fair? Doyou know how much it costs to sell a house? As you can see, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered beforeyour home is actually listed. An agent will help you learn about every aspect of selling a home so you have confidence.

On the flip side, let’s say you’re a buyer and ready to get the keys to a new home. Have you been pre-approved by alender? Do you have realistic expectations for what you can afford? Do you know how to make a strong offer? If you’renot prepared, then buying a home can turn from exciting to seemingly impossible. By working with an agent, you’lltransform the way you think about buying real estate. They will focus on setting realistic expectations and guiding youthrough the process so buying doesn’t seem as overwhelming.

One of the best ways to make sure that you are hiring a REALTOR® who’s priority is their client’s interest is by reviewinghis website for added information that will help you to make a better decision. A great place to find information aboutbuying or selling a home would be a personal real estate blog of the agent. Learning about the communities that you are

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considering is also significant. Look for detailed community descriptions such as Silevrado homes for sale or meaningfulorganization of the website that you can easily navigate. Being able to search for a home based on whether it’s a luxuryhome or a townhouse is important to filter down the available options to the ones that only matter to you.

2. REALTORS® Know How to Create Outstanding Marketing

It’s difficult for most buyers to walk into a poorly presented open house and imagine the potential it could have. Sure theagent might be able to try and explain what could be, but having the buyer imagine it can be difficult. This is why it’sessential to prepare a home for being sold in the right way. Some of the most important aspects of this include:

StagingDecorating/DesigningPhotographingVideo ProducingExterior/Interior Improvements

While you may be able to find each of these things on your own, that doesn’t mean you’ll make the right choices. Forexample, do you know which real estate photographer is going to get the BEST shots of your home so it’s clear how big therooms are? With each of these details you don’t want to take chances. You’ll save time, money, and frustration by havingan agent help you with finding professionals who will do an excellent job of presenting your property.

Your home has it’s own individual style, story, and appeal. While you might know that, conveying that to others may not beso easy. An agent is going to be the one to help you effectively market why your home is so fantastic. They may even beable to connect you with vendors that could offer discounts to the potential buyers of the home, giving people furtherincentive to make an offer.

3. It Takes a REALTOR® to Know Local Market Conditions

When it comes to both buying and selling a home, there are a lot of things you’ll learn during the process. For example, ifyou’re selling, do you know what the local market conditions are? For those without experience, this is very unlikely. Realestate agents are in-tune with conditions in your immediate market so they know things like:

Type of audience for your homeWhere to advertise to buyersWhere most buyers are coming from to see your homeAverage number of days it takes to sell a homeThe average asking price versus sales priceTrends for real estate in your areaWhether or not sellers pay closing costsChallenges you could face due to your location

With in-depth knowledge about your market and real estate conditions in your area, your agent can educate you all aboutthe facts. This means facing reality rather than having expectations that are likely not to be met. Even if you’re looking tobuy, they will help make sure you get the most for your money and are aware of every realistic challenge, obstacle, andpossibility for you to expect.

With so many mistakes that could occur without the right knowledge, it’s necessary to have the guidance of a real estateprofessional. They’ll help you avoid these mistakes and make smart decisions that are likely to save you money.

4. Effective Social Media Coverage is a Priority

Social media marketing is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reach potential buyers. While it might be temptingto post your home for sale on your social media, chances are most of those are your family and friends who won’t be likelyto make the purchase. If you’d like to reach more people both locally and nationally, then you need an agent who can help.

When you work with an agent, they will be able to use their digital marketing tools (such as predictive analytics) to showyour home to hundreds or even thousands of people in minutes. If you work with a top real estate agent, then you can

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expect even more. That’s because they’ll use smart marketingtechniques and pictures/videos to help boost the viewers of yourhome.

5. Agents Know How to Negotiate theBest

Sure you might know how to negotiate for a deal for something youwant at a swap meet, but negotiating in real estate is a much morecomplex type of situation. When it comes down to it, do you reallyknow how to sell a home? What if the buyer presents an offer youwant to counter, or one that is way too low for you to even consider?When it comes to buying a home, there are just as many needs for negotiating. What would you do if the seller wouldn’t fixsomething or come down on a too-high price?

Knowing what to do can feel impossible when you’re in the situation, especially if you haven’t dealt with it before. Byworking with an agent you’ll be able to create a smart strategy, negotiate effectively, and manage the situation in the bestway possible. How do they do this? By using their experience, gathering statistics on the local real estate market, andconsidering smart negotiation tactics they’ve learned over the years. Having them as your buffer will ensure you’re not atthe forefront and can keep emotions out of such an important financial decision.

6. Real Estate Agents Know How to Handle Heated Conversations

While it would be nice to get through a real estate transaction without any problems, this is very rarely the case andsometimes certain home buying situations can get out of hand. For example, what would you do if you were buying a homeand the home inspection revealed a problem with the roof, troublesome plumbing, or black mould? Or, what would you doif you were selling a home and the inspector was trying to make a simple problem seem like a larger one? First of all, youneed to be clear about how to hire a home inspector that you can trust. But most importantly, facing these problems alonecan feel impossible and turn you from hopeful to irritated, resulting in clouded judgement.

When you have a great real estate agent providing excellent service, you have someone who knows how to deal with eventhe most stressful situations -- all without losing their cool. Whether you want to prevent a buyer from backing out or youneed help telling a seller about repairs that need addressed, your agent will be there. Their experience in this field andcritical thinking skills means they’re able to solve problems to help you through. By standing tall, pulling their experience,and being realistic they can help you overcome challenges during any stage of your purchase or sale.

Encountering a problem in real estate might sound frightening, and for those who are dealing with them alone, they are.Even with research you can never anticipate what’s going to come and the myriad of challenges that could be waiting foryou. If you want to stand tall and fight for the deal, then an agent is going to be your best line of defence.

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7. Online Home Evaluations Are Never Going to be Accurate

It’s no secret that there are incredible (and useful) tools at your disposal when it comes to researching real estateevaluations. For example, in minutes you could be online looking at a valuation of your property right from your phone orcomputer. However, how accurate are these valuations really?

In the majority of situations, they are not accurate because they do not consider many factors. For example, what propertiesis the valuation based on? How long ago did the properties sell? Were those homes comparable to yours? With so manyoutlying factors to consider, it’s easy to see why you should never rely on online home evaluations.

Just like you shouldn’t go online to self-diagnose your symptoms, you shouldn’t merely rely on information gatheredonline to complete your home valuation. By doing so, you are very likely to end up with inaccurate information that could

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hurt you in the long run.

8. An Agent is Your BFF (Best Friend Forever)!

Real estate agents are unique because they’re some of the only professionals who don’t have set office hours. Sure theymight prefer to work 9-5, but if a client has a question outside of those normal office hours, they will be there to help. Theirpriority, in addition to helping make a sale, is to make sure their clients know that they are important.

Whenever you need advice, just send them an e-mail or give them a call to get the information that you need. You won’thave to worry about paying for every point of contact (like you would with a lawyer), because real estate agents workdifferently. By knowing that they’re available to help you, there will be no reason to succumb to confusion or fear. Trustthem to help you make this incredibly important decision.

Final Thoughts

Walking into the real estate process without any knowledge of how it works is a recipe for disaster. In addition to notunderstanding the market and changes that are so common, you won’t have a reliable source for information. With a topreal estate agent on your side, you can let go of common worries and smile knowing you have an experienced professional,eager and ready to help you. By hiring them, you an look forward to the good things that are about o come!

 

Comments

Brenda Starr wrote: I love it you inspire me. I am a Principal Broker in Newport, Oregon. Keep em comin

Posted on Tuesday, November 1st, 2016 at 4:57pm.

Michael Brett wrote: Thank you for the spot on article about we Realtors.While involved in a current transaction,we are too close to appreciate our intrinsic value.Sometimes it helps to see the forest. Not the trees!

Posted on Thursday, November 3rd, 2016 at 2:49pm.

Admiral Baysuites wrote: Thank you for this wonderful post. You are right, a good agent will focus on Educating. If you are looking for propertiesfor sale, make sure you choose the right agent that will help you.

Posted on Monday, November 7th, 2016 at 10:22pm.

Simon J Goldberg wrote: Very well written and informative.

Posted on Friday, November 11th, 2016 at 3:19pm.

Susie Cortright wrote: Thank you for this article. When agents focus on educating clients in the local market and in the buying and sellingprocess, they become indispensable. Lots of great reminders here.

Posted on Saturday, November 12th, 2016 at 6:51am.

Sheryle DeGirolamo wrote: Agree! Educating and managing expectations are key! Thank you for presenting such a great article! Happy to share!

Posted on Sunday, November 13th, 2016 at 6:18pm.