Why Use a Real Estate Agent to Buy Your Home

So why bother with a real estate agent to help you with the home buying process? Here are 5 good reasons to use a buyer’s agent.

Reason #1: Buyer’s agents work for you/buyers, not for the sellers.

Yes, they make their money when you buy a home, but buyer’s agents typically sign a form detailing their loyalty to a buyer, and ensuring they will work hard for you to buy the right home at the right price. Remember, the seller is almost always represented by a listing agent, having your interest represented by a buyer’s agent will ensure that your interests are represented and that a professional in the field will negotiate the best deal on your behalf (we will talk more about this below). Furthermore, a buyer’s agent will handle all the tedious paperwork on your behalf, and connect you with professionals such as inspectors and contractors, saving you time and money at the same time. A good agent could be your life time friend, and she/he should be resourceful, and helpful for you.

Reason #2: Buyer’s agents are personal property curators.  

What’s a personal property curator? In essence, it’s someone who hand picks the properties that you’ll like. Just like a museum curator selects the best art pieces that museum goers will enjoy. Sure, you can continue to look for properties on your own, and even set up a multitude of alerts to notify when a home in you want comes on the market. But this is your first home search, right? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an extra pair of eyes to help you out?

Reason #3: Insider knowledge

Wouldn’t it be great to know about a home that’s going up for sale before it’s listed? Top, well connected buyer’s agents have access to properties not yet on the market. In many markets, transactions happen before the property ever hits the market. In neighborhoods with low inventory levels, buyer’s agents have been known to send out marketing letters to homes that buyers had interest in. Some have had success in getting sellers to contact them, before the property went on the market!

Reason #4: Top Price Negotiators

For many people, buying a home is the single biggest purchase of their life. And negotiation can be like a poker game, where there are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. Making an offer and negotiating with a seller can be one of the most difficult and stressful parts of the home buying process. But, top buyer’s agents have gone through this many times, and likely have seen all the tricks in the trade. Not only do they develop detailed analysis on comps (or comparables) to help you understand what similar homes are worth, they’ll also help you figure out the best bidding and negotiation strategy. So you can get the right home at the right price.

Reason #5: It is Free

How’s this possible you say? First of all, a buyer doesn’t pay an agent; the buyer’s agent splits the commission with the seller’s agent when the house is sold.