Buyers
Every survey available to us shows when people start the process of buying a home, they start with an internet search. Registration with realtor.com and Zillow comes next and now, more recently, you can register with a local Realtor to see what's available. The best part of this is you can narrow down what you are looking for in your ideal home long before you visit a home with an agent. So with all this readily available, when should you call and meet with an agent?
The simple answer is this. Call and meet with an agent whenever you have questions about anything relevant to buying a home. Your agent will not charge you a sitting fee, finders fee, or any kind of consulting fee.
Please note: Realtors are paid by commission, which is worked out with the agent listing the house for the seller.
Also, while your agent's commission is worked out with the selling agent, your agent's job is to look out for your best interest in buying a home.
Here are some of the reasons to call your agent
- You want more information about a listing you saw online
- You want information about trends in the housing market
- You need information about neighborhoods, schools, and surrounding community
- You need to meet with a mortgage lender to get pre-approved for a home loan
- Review all your options and discuss any deposit and closing cost fees, if any
- Schedule time to go look at homes
When you find the home you want, your agent has the paperwork you need to make an offer and work out all the final steps to the day you get your keys.
Sellers
When you are selling your home, you should call and meet with your Realtor before you do anything. The reason is pretty simple. While there is a lot of information on the internet, that information can be either very accurate or completely wrong for you depending on where you live.
Your Realtor tracks trends in local home purchases and can provide you with the best information for your sale. Whether it's an upgrade to the kitchen, some minor repairs, or some new landscaping, your agent can help you decide what will be best for your home sale.
Also, if you plan to buy another home with the sale of your current home, your listing agent can work with you and help make the transition from one home to another as seamless as possible.