Originally published 8/17/2019
Sometimes people wonder just what a Realtor …. Does?? What can a professional Realtor do for me? We’re glad you asked!
The short answer is that buying or selling a home is one of the largest and most complicated transactions you will ever make. The average person may buy or sell a home less than a dozen times in a lifetime. (According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average home buyer stays 13 years!) Realtors work with home transactions every day. We are up on the latest trends and have an in-depth knowledge of current pricing and market trends. We are here to serve as your advocate to ensure your interests are protected and you will get the best deal possible given the current condition of the home and of the market.
Realtors are familiar with the entire buying and selling process, including:
- Financing – we are familiar with current types of loan programs and have extensive connections with lenders in the area. As Keller Williams agents, we have access to the Keller Mortgage ZeroPlus loan program, which offers loans with dramatically lower up-front costs and contributes $1,000 towards closing costs for loans over $150,000.
- Inspections and repairs – we know what some of the most common findings are, and can assist buyers with prioritizing items for repair. For sellers we can help you determine what items you should look for and repair in advance.
- Staging – if you are selling, we can connect you with professional design consultants to help you present your home in the best light possible.
- Photography – please, please, please don’t take your own photos! It shows. We will provide an experienced, professional photographer to make your home pop!
- Marketing – the multiple listing service available to Realtors advertises your home to all of the Realtors in the area, and automatically cross posts to other 3rd party sites, including Zillow, Realtor, and Trulia. We combine this with extensive social media ad campaigns and open houses to get your home the maximum possible exposure.
- Buyer Showings – Realtors are there to screen buyers and escort them through your home. You don’t have to be there to open your door every time someone wants to view your home, and we will make sure your privacy and possessions are respected.
- Negotiations – we are here to be your advocate and can advise you whether an offer is reasonable or not.
- Attorneys – yes, we will need to get the lawyers involved and we can provide recommendations if you don’t have an attorney already.
- Appraisal – required if you are getting a loan for your home purchase and recommended for cash purchases. We can advise you on your options if the appraisal comes in too low.
- Latest legal forms – we have access to the latest contract forms provided by the Georgia Association of Realtors. Our forms are constantly reviewed by a team of experienced attorneys and updated at least annually.
- Disclosures – we know what disclosures are required. If you are selling we will make sure you know what disclosures you need to make and reduce the likelihood of liability for anything not disclosed. If you are buying, we will make sure we receive all the required disclosures from the seller and are help you interpret them.
Finally, Statistically, sellers net more with an agent. The Collateral Analytics report “Saving Real Estate Commissions at Any Price” found that: “[For Sale By Owners] tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.”
References:
Collateral Analytics, Saving Commissions at Any Price: https://collateralanalytics.com/blog/2017/08/16/saving-real-estate-commissions-at-any-price/
http://nahbclassic.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=194717
https://www.inman.com/2016/06/16/10-reasons-you-should-never-buy-or-sell-without-an-agent/