Buying or selling, 5 reasons to hire a realtor

In the age of the Internet, real estate websites that make communities epically searchable and offer rough estimates of home values, serve as solid starting points no matter what side of the transaction you’re on. But, they don’t offer the comprehensive benefits of working with a licensed Realtor^®.

In fact, according to the National Association of REALTORS, buyers and sellers alike still prefer to work with a real estate professional. In 2017, 89% of sellers listed their home with a broker and 87% of buyers purchased through an agent, compared with 69% in 2001.

From magazines to television shows and slick virtual tours, realtors have the marketing tools to help sellers sell and buyers buy. But their expertise goes beyond that. Here are five reasons to work with a Realtor^® in 2018.

Save (or make) more money

Understanding home values is essential to getting the most home for your money or the most money for your home. Property appraisals vary considerably, and the market value doesn’t always match the appraised value. On average, owner-listed homes net 8% less than those listed with a brokerage. A real estate agent can help a client know the true value of their home or make the right offer for the market.

“For example, if you’ve got a shortage of homes or an abundance of buyers, the law of supply and demand pushes the value up. A keen agent will properly alert the appraiser if there were multiple written offers above the list price on a property…. The appraiser can then take those into consideration,” said Thomas Myers, Regional Manager for Carpenter Realtors.

Navigate a fast-paced market

Central Indiana’s real estate market is booming right now. Low inventory means houses sell quickly — sometimes the day they come on the market — and often above the list price. While this can be exciting for sellers, it can be daunting for buyers who might worry they’ll never find their dream home. A Realtor^® has the knowledge and resources to help buyers find the property they want and make the right offer on the right time.

Regina Jones, a Carpenter Realtors Broker and Branch Manager, doesn’t want her clients to have to wait until a property goes on the market to consider it. So she puts out feelers, calling other realtors to see if they have anything getting ready to list, and contacting homeowners throughout a particularly coveted neighborhood. “You have to shake the trees. you can’t just sit and wait for something to come on the market,” she said.

Keep the emotions out of it

Whether you’re buying or selling, real estate is an emotional business. Those emotions are warranted — after all, this is your home — but they can make even a straightforward transaction more difficult than it needs to be. Realtors are able to look at home values objectively and based on experience, and stand in for clients when it comes time to haggle.

“People walk into a home, it clicks, they love it, they smile, and they know it’s their new home. As a dedicated buyer’s agent, the realtor can and should help them keep proper control of the emotions, not display the emotions,” said Myers. Similarly, sellers who are emotionally attached to their home might struggle to accept even a reasonable offer and find themselves with a home on the market for far longer than they had hoped.

Handle a complicated transaction

Besides all the emotion and excitement, real estate transactions tend to be more than a tad tedious. Your realtor can help make sure paperwork is in order and sent to the proper attorney, lender, or title company on time. They can also help identify which defects should be disclosed and coordinate tricky transitions to prevent damage to a home that might need to sit empty.

“Having somebody who is experienced in working through the challenges and has been there before and has enough experience to work through the intricacies, even head some of them off before they become a problem, is a huge time saver, and a lot of stress reduction for the client,” said Myers.

Support beyond the sale

Sure, the official transaction ends after closing, but the client-realtor relationship doesn’t necessarily stop there. Jones, who has been in real estate for 18 years, tries to become the go-to solution source for her clients, helping them find a roofer for the home they bought ten years before, or being ready to help out their kids when it’s their turn to buy.

“Your Realtor^® is a trusted advisor. You don’t wanna bypass it because you think you’re going to save a dollar,” she said.

To start building a relationship with a trusted professional Realtor^® – whether you’re buying or selling – contact Carpenter Realtors to set up an appointment.