Do you really need a real estate agent?

In today's time when you see many For Sale by Owner and mere postings sprouting up it is but natural for one to ask 'Do we need to hire a Realtor?'. Here are some reasons to consider why a real estate agent might be the right choice for you.

Education/ Training: Would you trust anyone to perform surgery on you? There is a reason why they say "leave it to the professionals", a real estate agent has gone through extensive training and education and written numerous exams to do exactly that. They have the inside knowledge on how to execute a real estate transaction to the 'T'. Reputable real estate brokerages will takes it a step further with its extensive orientation and on-going training and development commitments to its agents, resulting in their agents being better positioned to help their clients achieve top results.

Insider Knowledge: Agents will have access to extensive information regarding communities and neighbourhoods, quality of schools, demographics, income level, community developments. Furthermore they will have the ability to conduct comparative analysis of your property against those currently listed, sold or expired in your area.

Current Market Conditions and Trends: A Realtor knows best the current market conditions and can give you a better perspective when buying or selling a home. Each house has a unique value which is determined by taking into account various sources of data and information such as, square footage of house, frontage, number of bedrooms, upgrades, average sales price of listed and sold houses, average DoM (days on market) and more.

A Realtor has the training and know how to leverage this data to better serve their buyers and sellers. There are some reputable agents with a high ethical standard that follows them in every transaction and relationship.

Marketing: yard sign simply does not cut it, if you want the top dollar for your house or that beautiful waterfront home you need to have a strong, productive marketing campaign, one that is geared to serve your best interests. Print advertising, Direct Mail, Target Marketing, Social Media, Personalized Domain address, QR codes, Kijiji, Craig's list, the list is exhaustive, Realtors do this and more.

Protect the Client: Real estate agents act as a buffer, if you are a seller, they will pre-screen buyers that are already pre-approved saving you both time and money, if you are a buyer they will ensure you are protected in terms of property inspection and contract clauses.

Negotiation Skills: A Realtor can think practically and keep emotions out when handling such sensitive deals as your home, thereby they are in a better position to negotiate on your behalf in getting you the right price for that dream home or top value for your current house.

Managing Legal Paper work: Executing a real estate transaction is by no means an easy task, there are many documents which need to be filled out, signed, co-signed & cross-checked before any deal can be finalized. Thanks to real estate professionals your job is simply delegated to autographing. They make sure their clients are properly covered and insured against any possible eventuality that might ensue during the course of the transaction.

Networking and Professional Affiliations: Real estate professionals have access to a wide data base of other realtors who are working with a dozen buyers/sellers, this pool allows them to keep up-to-date with new listings before they even get listed, as well as, attend agent open houses and networking groups on a regular basis. In short they have a higher probability of finding you a great buyer for your house or the dream home you are looking for.

Point of Resource: A Realtor will be a point of resource for their client through the entire offer negotiation process, as well as, after closing enabling a smooth transition between home owners.

Building Lasting Relationships: Quality Realtors believe in building lasting relationships, ones that go beyond a transaction closing. It's about providing an on-going service to your client, sending periodic updates on market activity, the value of your house (it is after all your biggest investment), how to maintain and increase that value. So when the time comes for you to upsize, downsize or invest in recreation home you will turn to your 'family realtor'.