Buying or selling a home is an exciting — yet complex — endeavor, filled with new adventures and unique challenges. An experienced REALTOR® can help you navigate this journey with confidence and ease.
A good REALTOR® does more than show houses and sign contracts. They become your trusted advisor, forging a deep understanding of your goals and dreams and crafting a personalized strategy to help you get there. They build relationships based on trust and strong communication, making each real estate transaction easier and more successful.
Whether you’re buying or selling, your REALTOR® is your secret weapon.
If you’re on the fence about whether to hire a REALTOR® or tackle your real estate journey alone, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn some of the top benefits of using a REALTOR® to buy or sell your home.
1. Individualized Home Search
As a buyer, searching for a home can be an overwhelming, time-consuming endeavor. When you work with a REALTOR®, they’ll take the time to understand what you’re looking for in a home and neighborhood. Then they’ll help you weed out anything that doesn’t match your criteria so you can find the home you’re looking for faster.
By leveraging their extensive market knowledge and network, a REALTOR® will guide you toward homes that resonate with your needs, wants, and budget.
REALTORS® often have knowledge of properties before they hit the market, giving you an edge over buyers who are going it alone. They’ll also offer guidance on neighborhoods, schools, zoning, crime rates, upcoming commercial development, and other local dynamics.
A REALTOR® can also tell you when a home is overpriced or priced well, helping you get the most for your budget and ensuring you don’t overpay for your home.
2. Targeted Property Marketing
Did you know that only 9% of home buyers find their new home by seeing the “for sale” sign in the yard? It takes a lot more to attract buyers these days than simply posting a sign.
A good REALTOR® knows how to market your home to get it sold faster and for more money.
REALTORS® have a variety of marketing tools at their disposal, including the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), open houses, professional real estate photography, email and social media marketing, and virtual tours.
They also have the benefit of a wide network of fellow REALTORS® who are searching for homes for their buyers, and can screen potential buyers and get your home in front of prospects who are serious about buying.
But a REALTOR®’s reach goes even beyond these powerful tools.
By analyzing buyer motivations and market trends (both nationally and locally), pricing your home strategically, and crafting a compelling listing that highlights your home’s unique selling points, they can put your home in a position to command top dollar and spend less time on the market.
3. MLS Access
The Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a powerful tool for marketing your home and finding your next home…but you only have access to it when you work with a REALTOR®.
As a seller, you may be able to list your home on a variety of online search tools without the help of a REALTOR®…but not the MLS. And when your home is listed in the MLS, it is also sent out to all major (and many minor) online home search sites, so it can get in front of as many buyers’ (and their REALTOR®s’) eyes as possible.
As a buyer, you can certainly use other online home search tools, but they don’t always contain all available listings in an area. The MLS holds a vast database of available listings, ensuring you don’t miss out on a thing.
In addition, the MLS is designed to alert your REALTOR® to new listings, open houses, area sales data, and other useful tools that can benefit your home sale or purchase.
4. Unsurpassed Market Knowledge
The real estate market is ever changing. From localized price fluctuations to changes in interest rates, the market can vary greatly by state, city, or even neighborhood, beyond what’s happening at the national level.
A REALTOR® closely monitors market trends, keeping you informed so you can buy or sell your home at the best possible time.
While it can be tempting to rely on sales data and pricing recommendations from popular real estate websites, it’s important to remember that those numbers aren’t always accurate. The data a REALTOR® can provide is much more reliable…plus, it comes with their invaluable experience and expert advice.
REALTORS® have an intimate understanding of the latest market trends, regulatory requirements, and local dynamics, and they’ll put that expertise to work for you.
5. Help Navigating Contracts and Disclosures
REALTORS® are not only experts in the real estate market, they’re also experts in the contracts and other documentation needed to buy or sell a home.
Real estate transactions involve a LOT of paperwork, and unless you’re extremely well-versed in the legal aspects of real estate, you’ll be better off relying on a pro. A REALTOR® understands what’s needed to get you successfully from offer to closing.
They can guide you through the process of putting in or receiving an offer, crafting the purchase agreement with necessary contingencies (inspection contingency, financing contingency, etc), filling out or examining disclosures, adjusting the purchase agreement for any issues that arise, and ensuring the lender and the title company have everything they need to bring the deal to a close.
And as issues arise, your REALTOR® can walk you through any paperwork needed to keep your transaction moving forward (meaning less stress for you!).
6. Access to a Network of Professionals
When you work with a REALTOR®, you gain not only the benefit of their expertise, but also access to their entire network of professionals.
Your REALTOR® has connections to trusted lenders, inspectors, contractors, title and escrow experts, and more. You can leverage that network to connect with the professionals needed to keep your home sale or purchase moving along seamlessly.
This saves you the time, effort, and stress of finding and vetting the professionals you need.
7. Negotiation Expertise
Most real estate transactions involve a fair amount of negotiation. REALTORS® are skilled at negotiation. It’s a part of their day-to-day work, so they get a LOT of practice at it!
A REALTOR® works as your advocate, negotiating on your behalf.
They can negotiate much more than the sales price, including dozens of issues that can hold up a transaction, such as repairs, closing costs, timelines, inspection issues, and more.
In addition, a real estate transaction can bring out strong emotions, which get in the way of the negotiation process. A REALTOR® is able to leave the emotion out of the negotiation, leveraging their expertise and market data to reach an agreement that’s beneficial to you.
One example of the benefits of using a REALTOR® is the price difference sellers see vs those who list without a REALTOR®. It can be tempting to list your home for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) to save on commission costs. But the reality is, you’re more likely to get top dollar for your home if you work with a REALTOR®.
In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, “FSBO homes sold at a median of $310,000 last year, significantly lower than the median of agent-assisted homes at $405,000.” That’s $95,000 you could be leaving on the table if you choose not to hire a REALTOR® to sell your home!
8. An Expert Focused on Your Best Interests
Working with a REALTOR® is like having a powerful new friend who’s in your corner, rooting for you.
Your REALTOR® is laser-focused on your best interests, strategically navigating the real estate process to ensure the best outcome for you. They work closely with all parties involved — the loan officer, title company, appraiser, inspector, and more — keeping an eye on each step of the process and ensuring all deadlines are met.
A REALTOR® is highly motivated to make sure your transaction goes off without a hitch, as their success is directly tied to yours.
Reap These Benefits of Using a REALTOR® (and More!) With the Centric Homes Team
Buying or selling a home is one of the most significant financial choices in your life, so it’s critical to have an experienced REALTOR® by your side to help you sell for more, buy for less, and avoid the mistakes that can derail your transaction.
The benefits of using a REALTOR® for your next real estate transaction far outweigh the cost of hiring them. From identifying opportunities to mitigating risk, your REALTOR® acts as a compass, guiding you toward your real estate goals with confidence.
If you’re considering buying or selling this year, contact the Centric Homes Team today. We’d love to sit down with you to discuss your real estate dreams and how we can help you achieve them.
