Do I Need a Realtor® to Find My Next Home?
Maybe not. Since you are online now, you have access to virtually every home that is for sale in our community...every home in the United States, for that matter. It's easy...just click here and you can search the entire MLS for the home of your dreams. There are also "For Sale By Owner" websites and Discount Broker websites that will tell you about homes that are not on the MLS. You can see photos and virtual tours, learn about the community, view aerial photos of the neighborhood, and find out the teacher-student ratio at the nearby school.
So What Does a Realtor® Do?
In the simplest terms, a Realtor® helps people buy homes and helps people sell homes. And while it might not be absolutely necessary to use a Realtor® to find your next home, a qualified, professional, full-time Realtor® can make finding a home easier. In some cases, a Realtor® might mean the difference between finding the home of your dreams and missing that once in a lifetime opportunity to buy that perfect home. How? With today’s computerized database of listings, a Realtor can enter the exact criteria for the home of your dreams. Then when a home comes on the market that meets your criteria, you can be notified by email immediately. You can find out about your dream home before it’s ever advertised to the public. Click here to learn more or to tell me what you’re looking for.
Are There Other Ways a Realtor® Can Help Me?
Although you may not need a real estate agent to help you find your next home, you probably will want a real estate agent to help you buy your next home. Professional, full-time Realtors® can give you valuable advice based on personal experience. A Realtor® can also negotiate the best possible price and terms on your new home. Finally, a Realtor® will facilitate the transaction, handling literally hundreds of big and little details, and seeing that the closing goes smoothly and without any last minute surprises.
What About Selling My Home? Do I Need a Realtor®?
Maybe. For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is a possibility and may be worth a try. It's pretty simple to get started. Put a sign in your front yard, tack up some flyers at the grocery store or at work, and wait for the phone to ring. Are there pitfalls to watch out for? Of course. But if you're interested in trying the FSBO route, let me know and I would be happy to share some tips that have worked for other sellers. If you can sell your home on your own, then I salute you.
What If I Decide to Hire a Realtor® to Sell My Home?
The hardest part of the decision is choosing a Realtor®. There are guidelines you can follow (click here) and they make a lot of sense. I have a bias toward full time professional “seasoned” agents, but a part time, new agent can make up for a lack of experience with boundless energy and determination. Or you can ask a friend, co-worker, or family member who they used the last time they sold a home. Was it a good experience? Would they use that Realtor® again? Talk to several Realtors® and listen to your gut. Beware of the Realtor® who gives you the highest estimate on the expected selling price of your home. It’s possible that they are “buying” the listing and betting that you’ll agree to a price reduction after a few weeks. Ask the Realtor® specifically what they will do to market your home.
For more information about selling your home, click here.