After deciding to buy a new home, one of the first things many people consider is whether or not to use a real estate agent. Why not just pick a home you like and make an offer?
The following five reasons to use a real estate agent when buying a home should convince you that it’s well worth it to have a professional on your side.
1. Convenience and Access
It’s true that plenty of homes are available for sale on various websites, but the listing websites don’t show all of the available homes. Sometimes, for personal reasons, sellers don’t want to broadcast that their home is on the market. They may not want neighbors to know, or perhaps they want everything to go through their agent.
A real estate agent acts as a go-between for buyers and sellers. Real estate is their full-time job and they have access to properties listed by other agents that aren’t available to the public. An agent can track down homes that best match what you’re looking for, contact the sellers’ agents, and set appointments.
2. Use a Real Estate Agent When Buying a Home to Negotiate Price
Negotiating the price of a home can be tricky. A professional real estate agent is trained and experienced in negotiations. They know what features are worth negotiating over and which aren’t, so you are more likely to have a fair deal with the seller.
3. Agents Handle Contracts and Paperwork
If you use a real estate agent when buying a home, they’ll be familiar with contracts and conditions to protect you. For example, an offer-to-purchase contract allows you to back out of a deal if the seller doesn’t meet certain conditions.
Problems like unclear titles, lenders not meeting deadlines, and other situations can arise near the closing of a sale. With a real estate agent in your corner, you have someone on your side to help if issues arise.
4. Requesting Repairs
Requesting repairs can be a touchy subject when trying to close a deal. Your real estate agent will recommend a qualified home inspector to inspect the home and provide a report on its condition.
Some repairs may be more urgent than others, and requesting repairs can make or break a deal. A real estate agent knows which problems are the most important to address and those that are easy to fix as the new homeowner.
5. Ethics and Professionalism
Real estate agents are bound by law to act in their client’s best interest. They also rely on referrals for repeat business to succeed in their profession. Using a real estate agent when buying a home means you are under an agency agreement.
Tyler Home Inspector provides quality home inspections in the East Texas area. Contact us to schedule an inspection.