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Do I REALLY Need a Realtor to Buy My First Home?

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty


Last week, I was visiting some friends who have a daughter who is about three.  She was building a tower with her blocks while we sat around and discussed some “grown up” politics.  She could successfully make a tower three blocks, but every time she tried for block #4, her clumsy toddler fingers would knock it down.  Remembering when my own boys were that age, I offered to help steady the house while she added the last block.  Indignantly, she placed her chubby hands on her hips and announced, “No tank you.  I do it myself!”  Needless to say, the tower never passed three blocks.

We laugh, but often first-time home buyers can feel the same way.  Making the commitment to purchase a home often takes every financial resource an individual or a couple can muster, so the temptation is to forgo the use of a Realtor, jump on the DIY bandwagon, and wade into the real estate ocean alone.  Logic seems to say that the fewer people involved in the transaction, the fewer bills to pay.

The reality of the situation is that DIY real estate can be a costly venture.  There are currently over 2,300 properties on the market in New Castle County, Delaware.  For a DIY buyer, searching through all of these listings to find the property that is priced fairly, located in the right neighborhood, eligible for the most cost-effective financing, available in the right time frame, all while offering all the practical “needs” and aesthetic “wants” that the prospective buyer hopes to find is an unrealistic expectation.  An experienced Realtor has the tools to sift through the 2,300 properties and find the ones that will best suit the buyer’s checklist and price range. 

Realtors are also required to educate themselves about more than just the value of a home.  They are an excellent resource for information about different types of financing, home inspections, zoning, historical registries,  and settlement procedures, not to mention their wealth of knowledge about schools, communities, services, and a plethora of other intangibles involved in finding the house that will feel like home.  The best part about using a buyer’s agent is that it won’t cost the buyer an additional penny.  At closing, agent commissions are split between the seller’s agent and buyer’s agent.  Using a Realtor will potentially save you thousands in having a qualified advocate, not cost you at the settlement table.

3 Parrot Court

Beautiful home for a first time home buyer in Raintree Village, Newark, Delaware

Especially in the current real estate market, DIY should be reserved for what happens after a home is purchased (and sometimes, not even then!).  Until the home belongs you, trust a professional Realtor to look out for your best interests and help you find Your Road Home.

Posted by

Michael McGavisk

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