In last week’s column, we focused on the benefit for sellers in using a Realtor to sell their home. This week, we revisit that same topic from a buyer's perspective.
Many home buyers start their home buying process by browsing the Internet, looking through a real estate magazine or the newspaper, or by simply driving around to see what homes are for sale. When that buyer finds a house that's of interest to him or her, the buyer calls the agent whose name is on the sign or in the ad. Here are five reasons why you should have your own Realtor helping you when you buy a home.
1. The first reason you need your own Realtor is that the real estate agent with the sign in the yard represents the seller and not you. Do you not want someone to look after you as their primary client?
2. The second reason you need your own Realtor is that your Realtor will make sure you are buying a home for what it's worth. Your Realtor will research comparable sold homes so you know what the home you are buying should be worth.
3. The third reason you need a Realtor is that you need someone to guide you through the lending and buying process to make your home purchase as smooth as possible. Realtors know what lender will give you the least problems, they know the best title companies, and they know the best home inspectors. They want to make your home purchase as easy you as possible.
4. A Realtor will also guide you through negotiating a sales price on a home, which can be touchy and emotional, with no buffers between the buying party and selling party. Hopefully, both parties will get something of value to them at the end of negotiations.
5. The fifth and final reason you need a Realtor of your own is that your Realtor will make sure that you get the home you are purchasing in the condition that it should come in. I have seen too many home sellers who didn't have their own agent when they purchased their homes. Some of those people had to fix things that should have been done when they were buying their home. The sellers did things like taking light fixtures out of the home and not replacing them. They did repairs poorly. One buyer never did a home inspection because they didn't have an agent to tell them to do it. They simply trusted the seller, and they ended up doing many more repairs on the house over time than they had planned on. You don't want to have a money pit, you want a home to live in.
Find your own Realtor today to help you buy your home. You won't regret it.
The Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS is "The Voice of Real Estate in Greater Chattanooga." The Association is a regional organization with more than 1,500 members, and is one of more than 1,400 local boards and associations of REALTORS nationwide that comprise the National Association of REALTORS. The Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS services Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee, and Catoosa, Dade, and Walker counties in northwest Georgia. For more information, visit www.gcar.net.