Why Hire a Real Estate Agent

Why Hire an Agent

It’s no secret that the real estate industry has evolved in numerous ways over the last decade. With the internet and mobile devices taking the market by storm, buyers have unprecedented access to property information at their fingertips, without depending on a real estate agent.

In some instances, property searches have been abandoned altogether by real estate professionals in an attempt to make themselves more efficient with their time.  Some agents assume that since the majority of consumers search for homes online, it has somehow become the consumer’s responsibility rather than their agent. So that begs the question, are buyer’s agents still necessary? In short, yes and here’s why.

For starters, home buyers should not always rely on the sometimes partial or outdated information that many online sources provide.  But more importantly, a good buyer’s agent will still carry out many tasks in the buyer’s best interest — tasks that reach far beyond the property search function.  Here is a condensed list of the essential tasks that should be handled by a qualified buyer’s agent:

1. Be an adviser and be available during the entire home buying process. When an agent sells homes every month and every week day in and day out they become very familiar and aware of what is needed to get the deal worked out.
2. Take time to uncover the buyer’s needs and wants as well as what’s motivating their purchase.
3. Educate buyers on current local market conditions. Nationwide or statewide conditions don’t always reflect what is going on in the immediate area.
4. Find a way for buyers to attain as many of their needs possible when dealing with the realities of the marketplace or financial constraints that they may have. A lot of times buyers agents are very familiar with the best lenders or will be able to work out deals with banks when their credit is not perfect. Contingencies with buying or selling a home can also be taken care of by an experienced buyers representative at Chambers Realty Group.
5. Research homes in the area and sort through active listings to make suggestions after cross-referencing buyer’s needs (i.e. Which homes are located in areas that have retained home values? Which homes are located inside good school districts? Lower taxed areas? Easy work commutes? Areas of low crime? etc.)
6. Help buyers achieve their lifestyle needs with a different set of features than originally anticipated (this is particularly useful when dealing with financial constraints)
7. Aid buyers in narrowing their search until they have identified their top choices
8. Handle the ins and outs of the negotiation process including the preparation of all necessary forms when making an offer and/or counteroffer.
9.  Provide oversight and follow up for any inspections deemed necessary.
10. Counsel buyers on how to handle any repairs needed on the property. At our office we keep an updated list and record on reputable builders and repair persons. People that we trust to work on our own homes.

Buyer’s agents are no longer the gatekeepers of property information, but understanding, evaluating, and presenting that property information to home buyers remains an integral part of an agent’s job.  If done properly, everyone benefits.

Justin Chambers with Chambers Realty has sold over  1000 homes and land sales, making him one of Mohave County’s top agents  for the last 11 years.  This experience has given him a unique perspective on the Kingman Arizona Real Estate found at chambersrealtygroup.com worth paying attention to.