Why You Should Work with a Realtor
Today’s post is more serious than some of the previous we-blog offerings. And, let me say right from the start that I have borrowed the jist of this information from Realtormag.realtor.org. I can supply you with the exact weblink if you would like it. Here goes.
Not all real estate practitioners are Realtors®. That term is a registered trademark. It demonstrates that this real estate is a professional; he/she is a dues-paying member of the National Association of Realtors, and perhaps most importantly, that he/she subscribes to our strict Code of Ethics.
Realtors® go through weeks of training to earn their designation. We must pass state and national tests. And, like any professional, we don’t really want to work for free. Please listen to these reasons.
1. Hiring a Realtor — whether you are buying or selling — means you will have an expert on “your” side; we will guide you through the disclosures, inspections, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, settlement statements, etc. The seller’s agent is there for only the seller: don’t forget that.
2. We will provide objective information (“comps” / Comparative Market Analyses), as well as our valued opinions. It’s likely that selling (or buying) this house might be the first, or second, or perhaps fourth time for you. For the Realtor, we’ve done this dance before. Many times. We know the tricky steps.
3. We will find the best property out there. We have a variety of ways to advertise, and we have a network of friends in the business. That’s going to help you, whether you recognize it or not.
4. We can help negotiate the best deal. Plus, we will think of negotiable items that almost certainly escape your frame of knowledge. Everything is ultimately negotiable: financing, terms, date of possession, repairs, furnishings, equipment, appliances, and in one rather odd case: goats. If something happens and an amendment is needed — you couldn’t get the home inspection completed in the prescribed three-day window, for example — your Realtor can likely ease that amendment on through.
5. When you’re selling, strangers are coming into your home, you know. Having an expert Realtor there should make you feel just a little better about the prospect of strangers walking through your house. A second element is that selling is an emotional experience. A home symbolizes your family, your sense of self, your hobbies, your life: it is much more than four walls, a roof, and a stubborn front doorlock. Having a concerned and objective third party helps you to stay focused on the big picture(s): the emotional and the financial.
6. Real estate has its own language. If you don’t know the difference between a FSBO and a horizontal property regime, you need someone who does speak the language.
7. Every member of the National Association of Realtors makes a commitment to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics. Our job is to protect you. It is your right to expect nothing but honest and ethical treatment in all transactions with a Realtor. In fact, it is mandatory that we refresh our commitment to the Code of Ethics every few years. Times change. Honesty and integrity should not.
Yes, it is possible in our society to buy (or to sell) a house without utilizing the professional services of a Realtor. I can also give you instructions on how to extract a tooth, as long as you have some needle-nose pliers handy. We are professionals. Let us serve you.