1. NAVIGATING A REAL ESTATE DEAL CAN BE TRICKY BUSINESS
When it comes to the process of buying your first home, there is no substitute for an experienced professional. A good real estate agent can save you time, money and a lot of stress by helping you find the right home, making the right offer, negotiating contracts and playing hardball when necessary.
2. PAPERWORK WILL BE FLYING
The amount of paperwork involved in a home sale is overwhelming to say the least. Especially for a first-time homebuyer! Unless you have all kinds of free time to dedicate to deciphering contracts and paperwork, you may want the help of a professional. Your real estate agent will be able to translate all of the paperwork so that you are clear on what you are signing.
3. DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS
A real estate agent will help you navigate all the bumps along the road. Short sales, foreclosures, inspections, bidding wars and all the other issues that could arise. Without an agent it will be up to you to navigate the twists and turns on the road to home ownership, which is possible (thanks to the internet) but be prepared to spend many hours each week researching, studying and making phone calls.
4. FIGURING OUT THE FINANCES
There is certainly no shortage of lenders out there and without an agent you will be responsible for sorting through all the financial details and lenders to find the best deal. A process that can be very overwhelming, especially as a first-time homebuyer! A real estate agent will have established contact and relationships with local lenders. They will be able to lead you to a reputable lender who will act in your best interest.
5. YOU CAN’T RELY ON WEBSITES
Many first-time homebuyers assume that thanks to popular websites like Trulia & Zillow, there is no need for a real estate agent. Those buyers quickly learn that inaccuracies run rampant on popular home search websites, and thanks to lag times, their dream home may already be under contract by the time they see it online. Only professional real estate agents have access to current & accurate market data through the MLS service.
Here in Montana, we are a non-disclosure state which means sold prices cannot be made public. Without a real estate agent, you will be shooting blind when making an offer on a home because you will have no access to the sold prices of neighboring and comparable homes.
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