« Active Claremont Get Involved! | Home | The Claremont Farmer’s Market A Beautiful Place To Be! »
Choosing The Right Realtor & Why You Really Need One
By Tisza Major-Posner | May 5, 2007
Choosing the right Realtor to help you buy a home is one of the most important decisions you will make during the purchase. But why? What should a good Realtor do for you that you can’t do for yourself? What makes a Realtor an integral part of the home sales process? Why do you need one? And lastly, what makes them worth all that money?
Well, let’s start with why choosing the right Realtor is so important, and what they should do for you.
Buying or selling a home is a lot like a romantic relationship. Both parties should communicate with each other clearly, frequently and very well. You should both treat each other with respect and fairness. You should have similar goals and be willing to work together to achieve them. You should understand each others wants and needs and the differences between the two. And, when it comes right down to it, you should like each other.
When you choose the right Realtor to work with, you will get all this and more. You will get the benefit of their experience and that of their broker and the other agents in their office.
In my office at Keller Williams Professional Group in Claremont/La Verne for instance, I have at my disposal scores of agents with literally hundreds of combined years of experience in every type of market.
What that means to you is that I don’t need to have ever encountered a situation myself before because, odds are, someone in my office has, knows how to handle it, and is very willing to share that information.
What does the right Realtor do for you that you can’t do for yourself? First and foremost, all the leg work to save you time. And time isn’t money, time is time. It is much more important and valuable than money, you can always get more money, but you can never get more time.
As a buyer, the right Realtor will not only take the time when you first sit down with them to find out what you need in the home you are looking for, but also what you want. Those are sometimes two very different things. The right Realtor will then help you find both.
They should be tech-savvy, very well versed in today’s strategies and tools but not above doing, good old fashioned, honest leg work.
The right Realtor will make sure that before they take you into a home to view it in person they have. They should know the area, including where the schools are in relation to the home and also where the closest grocery store, gas station and other amenities are as well.
The right Realtor can also introduce you to a lender, but should not insist that you use any particular one. It is your money, your decision and ultimately your home. The choice is always yours, and always should be. The right Realtor will simply help where and when needed, but will always be mindful of what they should and shouldn’t control.
The right Realtor should also have access to all the latest information and know how to use it. Oh, and the latest technology helps too… A good gps system, a map of the area and in-depth personal knowledge of the highways and byways can ensure that a fixed period of time blocked off to view prospective homes doesn’t become pointless hours spent meandering aimlessly hoping you’ll find them somehow.
What makes the right Realtor integral to your successful purchase of a home? The skill, in-depth knowledge and training they possess can help to ensure that the offer, negotiation, acceptance, inspections, contingencies and their fulfillment or removal, and loan process all go as smoothly as they can help to make them.
The right Realtor can’t prevent things from going wrong, because something always does, but what they can do is make sure that, if there is a problem that arises, it is handled swiftly, smoothly and legally to help get things back on track.
Why are they worth all that money? First things first, if you are the buyer of a home, then the services of a Realtor don’t cost you one thin dime. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. The Realtor’s fees are paid by a portion of the commission earned by the seller’s representative.
Not to mention the fact that a reputable Realtor will be covered by Errors and Omissions or E&O Insurance, and will therefore be able to extend that coverage to you. E&O protects them and you should anything be faulty about the preparation of the documents.
The right Realtor will make it their business, because it is their business, to stay as fully informed and up to date as they possibly can about the latest changes in the rules and regulations that affect owner’s and buyer’s rights. They will also attend additional training classes on a regular basis, whether they count toward their continuing education credits or not, to learn about the different facets of the business so you don’t have to.
The right Realtor will also research and preview homes for you to see, based upon criteria that you determine. The right Realtor will then arrange for you to see the homes you are interested in, whenever possible, at the most convenient times available for you.
The right Realtor will help you write up an offer and will negotiate on your behalf to attempt to get the offer accepted. The right Realtor will make sure that all documentation will be presented and received on time to protect your rights and interests.
The right Realtor will be present at the home inspection to function as your eyes and ears. The right Realtor will offer you peace of mind, knowing that there is someone working diligently on your behalf to ensure that your best possible result is achieved.
And if all that isn’t worth a few pennies on the dollar, then I don’t know what is.
Take care, help lots of people and have a wonderful day,
Tisza
Topics: Buying and Selling Tips |
Enjoy this post? Subscribe to my feed or get updates via e-mail