Your real estate agent will be your subject matter expert. Buying or selling a real estate requires a variety of forms, reports, disclosures, and other legal and financial documents. A knowledgeable real estate agent will know what documents are required for your specific transaction in your specific market. This will help you avoid mistakes which can be costly. You want to work with a subject matter expert, it will help make the process run smoothly and get you the results you want.
Your real estate agent will understand the local environment. A real estate agent with local knowledge will not only help you through the buying and selling process, but your agent will have knowledge about the local amenities, utilities, zoning rules, permitting requirements, local contractors, and more. This knowledge can save you lots of time and money.
A local real estate agent knows the local market. If you need major surgery do you search for the lowest cost surgeon or do you look for the best? For most of us, any real estate transaction is likely one of the biggest and most important financial transactions we will ever engage in. Do you really want to do this yourself? A local real estate agent has access to the multiple listing service, your agent can help you evaluate all active listings that meet your criteria, alert you to listings soon to come on the market, and provide data on recent sales, pricing trends and market conditions. Knowledge is power, you should use it.
A local real estate agent can help you negotiate a better deal. If you’ve ever taken a class on negotiating then you probably know that you should always use a third party as a go between. There are many points to discuss in any real estate transaction – from price to repairs to possession date. A local real estate agent who’s representing you has the experience and knowledge that can help you avoid costly mistakes. They will look at the transaction from your perspective, helping you negotiate a sales or purchase agreement that meets your needs and protects your interests.
Ensure an up-to-date experience. Just like tax laws, laws affecting real estate transactions change frequently. Most people only engage in a few real estate transactions in a lifetime. Real estate agents engage in transactions for a living. That experience can help you avoid mistakes or omissions simply because you are not aware of specific changes in laws or regulations.