About Realtors And Agents
Realtors-Who They Are
Although there is a defining line between Realtors and real estate agents, for our purposes here, we're going to combine the two under a very broad heading. Before moving ahead, let's define "realtor". The term "realtor" applies to a real estate professional who belongs to an international organization called the National Association of REALTORS®, or NAR. Some real estate agents choose to join NAR; others don't. Real estate agents represent only a portion of the members of NAR. A person who is a realtor may be a professional outside of direct real estate sales, such as an appraiser, property manager, escrow officer, loan officer, title representative, homeowner insurance person, broker, or a counselor.
Unfortunately, Ignorance Can Be Less Than Bliss
Unfortunately, the general public remains quite ignorant of the function and protocols that real estate people work in, how they are paid, and why they do what they do. It is a wise person who investigates how agents work and if it is necessary to employ one to sell your home. We offer some reasons why you may want to consider hiring a real estate agent to handle the purchase or sale of your home.
Some Reasons For Hiring An Agent
Obviously, the first reason for hiring a real estate agent would be that a professional realtor or real estate agent is educated to know what is necessary to properly do the job. Henry Ford said that when you hire people who are smarter than you are, than you are-in fact-smarter than them. Agents who work for large agencies are often given the advantage of ongoing education and courses to keep them abreast of current trends in the marketplace. Why not take advantage of that?
Agents act as buffers against the possible onslaught of others, especially if you are purchasing a new home. As a seller, your agent screens and filters out calls that won't go anywhere. It saves you a lot of time and energy. The agent knows through experience and training what questions to ask to clear the deck.
Your neighborhood is no mystery to a professional agent. They can find the facts that are often hidden from the average person, such as data on crime, schools, and prices comparable houses sold for in your area. While you may be able to get all of this information, an agent can get their hands on it faster than you. S/he'll also know inside information about pricing that you can't get, such as how long it took to sell and what happened throughout the process.
Agents can be very helpful when it comes to pricing your property. Perhaps one of the biggest issues for people who list their homes is the emotional attachment to its value. The agent will give you all of the information pertinent to establishing a price, without doing it for you, and will guide you into the right choice to price your home. It's no secret that market conditions affect the buying and selling of homes. Your agent can give you information about the market that you may not be able to access easily. There are many factors that are considered in determining a path when it comes to real estate and the agent's information can have a great bearing on what you ultimately decide to do.
We can't ignore the fact that real estate agents are well schooled in the fine art of negotiations and are committed to confidentiality. Since a top agent knows that s/he cannot be emotionally entangled in the process, s/he can negotiate with a clear head who can present your case in the best possible light for the best possible outcome. It's their job.
Who Wants To Do All Of That Paperwork?
Along with several other factors, perhaps one we don't think about but is really important is the volume of paperwork necessary to complete a sale or purchase. Really, do you want to do all of that paperwork? Probably not. The average purchase agreement runs about ten pages these days and if you saw a normal file, you'd be looking at a folder measuring about two inches in depth.
Thank heaven for real estate agents who are professional and effective!
