Why would I need a real estate Agent?
A real estate agent is the person who you entrust to act as an intermediary between owners and buyers or renters. When negotiating prices and terms of property and contracts, it’s important to know the current market and the hidden fees that aren’t so obvious to non professionals in the real estate industry.
Below are the six steps to buying or renting a property and shows the process with or without an agent:
Step #1 Deciding to buy or rent
There are many different parts of buying or renting a property and it can be very time consuming to search the endless pages on the Internet to find all the information you need; a real estate agent is a professional who already knows everything there is to know about property and has a database full of available homes on the market. They can tell you the steps needed when deciding to buy or rent and advise you on the procedures.
Step #2 Financing your decision
The financial world can be a bit ruthless and sifting through different lenders looking for the best deal can be tedious and troublesome. A good real estate agent will already have a contact with local lenders and they can help you find a well respected one which provides the best service for your needs.
Step #3 Finding the right place
It is a real estate agents goal to find you your dream home. They have all the contacts needed, a database full of property and they know how to get things done. Finding a place on your own can be very stressful. You would need some sort of system to organize your home search and keep record of all the property you are interested in. A real estate agent will have it all done for you.
Step #4 Making an offer
Negotiating with owners can be scary, especially if you think you can be scammed. A good real estate agent is an experienced negotiator and has the knowledge of the current market to ensure a win-win price is agreed on. Let’s face it – no one wants to get in a bidding war with another buyer or renter – the real estate agent will do all the negotiating for you so you don’t have to.
Step #5 Due diligence and inspections
Appraisal, inspection and financing can all pose as drawbacks in a transaction. A real estate agent can give objective advice to overcome these issues and move a transaction to closing; doing this alone can be overwhelming with all the required paperwork and needed knowledge of what is behind closing a deal.
Step #6 Closing
This is the last step but the most important. You need to know about title insurance, closing costs, pro-rations and other fees that are part of closing. An experienced agent has the knowledge and skills to make sure your closing is completed with diligence and perseverance so you can have peace of mind.
Renting or buying a property is one of the most important financial decisions of your life so it’s best to leave it to a professional who has the knowledge of the trade and your best interest in mind, also remembering that when it comes to buying a home the costs are only incurred by the seller!
