Do I really need a Realtor in today’s market when all the listings are online?
June 28, 2010 by Community Admin · Leave a Comment
The answer is “you need a good realtor”
Aren’t all realtors the same? What does a good realtor do that is different than a bad one?
Buying or selling Real Estate isn’t as easy as some may think?
Here how a good realtor spends their time finding, then representing a buyer.
1. Much time is spent sifting through buyer leads that are not serious to the ones that are serious – this takes up most of our time.
2. A good realtor will never take a buyer out until they have educated a prepared that buyer for all costs and all the possible things that can go right and go wrong. An educated buyer will be able to protect themselves better and reduce liability to their Realtor.
3. A top agent has the very best hand picked service providers. He/she will understand the buyers financial needs and put them in touch with a Professional Mortgage agent if financing is needed.
4. A sharp Realtor will listen carefully to the buyers needs, know the market, and the inventory available. The sharp agent will be researching the MLS and Non MLS properties to find the right one with even the possibility of sending out marketing materials to the community the buyer is looking in. If the realtor is well connected they will hear of properties available before others, allowing their buyers first chance to view.
5. When the right property is located there are 3 very important considerations a top agent will guide you through and protect your interests.
a. Is the price in line with what other similar properties are selling for?
b. Will the property attract lots of other buyers when it is re sold in the future
c. Does the property have and hidden defects we need to be aware of
6. A good Realtor understands that there is no room for error when writing an enforceable contract. You can’t just have a lawyer write it out because the property needs to be seen to understand what clauses and phrases should be on the contract to ensure all issues are addressed. The buyers deposit also needs protection.
7. With the right conditions now in place on the contract to ensure the buyer has an out pending the buyer discovering an issue that will stall or collapse the contract. We now need to put the qualified service providers to work and I can’t stress the importance of a sharp qualified home inspector or condo document review company. These professionals are the buyers protection and need to be at the top of their game. A top agent can’t allow for surprises.
8. With all the due diligence now completed we need to ensure we have a smooth closing. Smooth closings mean the top agent will keep in contact with the all parties to make sure there is not a storm brewing that could affect our completion on the date we have agreed to. I can’t stress how important this is. Sometimes the seller leaves the property with a whole host of problems such as water damage, unwanted items, or simply not clean.
9. The top agent knows that all of the above must happen without the buyer finding any problems or bad surprises that could lead to the buyers Realtor suing them. If all goes smooth the top agent knows that they will get a referral from their buyer leading to a successful business.
