"Why Do I Need a Realtor®?"
I could not resist to re-blog this post from Debe.
There is a BIG message in this post - which you can share with consumers on the fence - or with someone who has a big myth about our services.
Thanks, Debe, I just sent a link to a potential lead and hope they will be my client!
"Why Do I Need a Realtor®?"
I’m sure most busy agents get this question often. When connecting with online buyers who request a showing of one of ‘my’ listings (which are rarely ever actually MY listings), I find that many buyers feel the need to go through this process alone. Many buyers think that they are going to save money if they don’t hire a buyers agent. That couldn’t be farther from the truth!
Many buyers also feel that they can do all of their own research and often come to me with their valuations that they have obtained from an online source. They fail to realize that these sources are ill-informed and derive their data from often erroneous tax records and even MLS data sheets with incorrect data. Reading the fine print, you will see that these online valuations can be 35% wrong in our area - when you're dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars, a 35% error is catastrophic! Comparing apples to oranges is NOT the best option when you're spending this much money on an investment.
Any online pricing algorithm does not know if the competing property’s countertops were or granite or laminate, or what lies beneath the new flooring in the subject home; nor can the online algorithm determine if that third bedroom is a true bedroom. The system also doesn’t know the motivations of the previous owner, situational developments which may have had an adverse affect on the property values of the recent sales or the level of upgrades done to either the subject property or any of the comparable properties sold.
Why consult a real estate agent rather than doing your own research? Real estate agents spend their entire careers educating themselves about local zoning laws, neighborhoods, rates of return on investment and assessing the current values of homes that are on the market or are soon to be listed on the market. A home buyer or seller cannot simply “Google” this information and reach an educated assessment of a property value. Just as you would leave the surgical evaluation to a surgeon, enlisting the experience of a real estate professional will protect your investment far more than a DIY scenario.
Real estate professionals spend their careers as educators and project managers while working with home buyers and sellers to achieve a successful outcome for each and every one of their clients. Each and every transaction is different and just as the homeowner who has bought and sold 5+ homes over the years will attest, our business changes on a weekly basis. There is just no way to have a thorough understanding of the complexity of this business unless one is submersed in it on a daily basis!
As every American knows, time is a valuable commodity in our lives. Let the professionals who work in this business and know it inside-out, do the work FOR you! As real estate professionals, we give our time so that our clients do not need to unnecessarily spend their time on the details; no matter how large or small the detail, we attend to it so you don’t have to.
Real estate professionals also save home sellers carrying costs, stress and get the job done (and done right) in far less time and data shows, we get home sellers significantly more for their home sale than just the cost of commission. We also provide protection from personal liability - and yes, even with a real estate attorney involved. I have represented real estate attorneys before - their work in Closing transactions is just not the same as being able to walk a seller through the process as many may think!
The bottom line is, don’t do this alone! You’d never attempt to remove your own appendix, why would you attempt to buy or sell your largest investment along?
(THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)
Charlotte NC Real Estate Agents
Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
SavvyBroker@me.com
Phone (704) 491-3310
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