IF YOU'RE BUYING OR SELLING A HOME AN EXPERT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! 

If you’re thinking of selling your house or buying a home, it’s important to work with someone who has the pulse of the changing market at the local level and what it means for you. If you are buying you should understand that the buyer’s agents’ commission is traditional paid by the seller – meaning you get the help of the Realtor for free!

Here are five reasons to begin working with a professional as early as possible to ensure you’ll get the most out of your sale or purchase.

.

1. They’re Experts on Market Trends

Today’s housing market is the very definition of ‘change’ or 'shifting' and this means it’s critical to work with someone who knows the latest information on the local level and how it impacts your goals. A professional Realtor is not only aware of national trends but even more important how our local area is doing and what is driving our local market. In fact, the DFW metroplex housing market is somewhat unique because of our strong economy and the number of corporations that are moving into our area which increases demand on an already low housing inventory. This has the effect of decoupling our local market from national trends and that is a good thing right now! This also means a Realtor can provide critical insight regarding what all of this means for you directly, which will help you your decisions based on sound, trustworthy, up-to-date information.

.

2. A Local Professional Knows How To Set the Right Price for Your Home

In her book, ‘Industry Secrets That Get Your Home Top Dollar!’ Geni devotes an entire chapter to the critical importance of setting the right price – for the sale or purchase offer. Home price appreciation has moderated slightly this year but continues to rise due to the lack of available inventory – supply – demand appreciation.

If you sell your house on your own, you may be more likely to overshoot your asking price because you’re not as aware of where prices are relative to your local area. Pricing your house too high can deter buyers or cause your house to sit on the market for longer.

Real estate professionals look at a variety of factors, like the condition of your home and any upgrades you’ve made, with an unbiased eye. They compare your house to recently sold homes in your area to find the best price for today’s market so your house sells quickly.

.

3. A Real Estate Advisor Helps Maximize Your Pool of Buyers

Since buyer demand has softened slightly from last year largely due to the increase in interest rates. As a seller you’ll want to do what you can to help bring in more buyers – get a copy of Geni’s book to know what to do – most importantly enlist the help of a Realtor. As a buyer, you’ll want a professional to help guide you to a) the best lenders for you and your personal situation, b) the right home in the right neighborhood and c) the right ‘structure and price’ for an offer – and then be there to negotiate the deal to your advantage.

Real estate professionals have a wide range of tools at their disposal, such as social media followers, agency resources, and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These resources ensure your house gets in front of people looking to make a purchase and as a ‘buyer’s agent’ also gives them the broadest picture on available homes – especially ones you will not see – those “Coming Soon” properties.

Without access to your agent’s tools and marketing expertise, your buyer pool – and your home’s selling potential – is limited. As a buyer, you have internet resources to find a property but you are left to schedule a showing, do the due diligence on the property, evaluating the price and structuring an offer and most critically the paperwork to submit an offer which has legal implications. 

.

4. A Real Estate Expert Will Read – and Understand – the Fine Print

Today, more disclosures and regulations are mandatory when selling a house and unfortunately can cause the unwary or uninformed to create legal issues for themselves. The law offers no excuses for the uninformed! The number of legal documents you’ll need to juggle is constantly growing and one of the reasons real estate agents must attend continuing education courses to maintain their license. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) puts it like this:

“There’s a lot of jargon involved in a real estate transaction; you want to work with a professional who can speak the language.”

.

5. A Local Professional Is a Skilled Negotiator

In today’s market, buyers are regaining some negotiation power. If you sell without an expert, you’ll be responsible for any back-and-forth, offer and counter-offer. This means a lot of coordination which is TIME – time you may not have especially if you have a fulltime job and some of this coordination has statutory or contractual time frames.

As a seller on your own you’ll have to coordinate with:

• The buyer, who wants the best deal possible
• The buyer’s agent, who will use their expertise to advocate for the buyer
• The inspection company, which works for the buyer and will almost always find concerns with the house
• The appraiser, who assesses the property’s value to protect the lender

.

As a buyer on your own you’ll have to coordinate with:

• The seller’s agent (listing agent), who is experienced and wants the best deal for their client
• Your lender, who is dealing with several other loans and will focus on the loans being pushed by buyer’s agents who are helping their client with the paperwork
• Schedule and manage details, there are a lot of details that need to be managed from inspections to appraisals to preparing paperwork and all of these take time, lots of time!

Instead of going toe-to-toe with these parties alone, lean on an expert. They’ll know what levers to pull and buttons to push, how to address everyone’s concerns, and when you may want to get a second opinion.

Bottom Line

Don’t go at it alone. If you’re planning to sell your house this spring, let’s connect so you have an expert by your side to guide you in today’s market. CLICK the following link for additional information on the Advantages of Using a Realtor.