There is no doubt the internet is here and it is making daunting tasks simpler. They're websites devoted to cooking to help the person who's family knows it time for dinner when the smoke alarm goes off. We have sites like Lifehacker who try to help us simplify and boost productive. Real Estate is not a stranger to the fact that the internet is making things simpler. Sites like Zillow help people give an idea of what their home value might be. Realtor.com allows people to view homes. So, the question asks, with all this technology why do I need a real estate agent?
Selling your home
Sites like Forsalebyowner.com make it pretty easy to sell you house. Take some photos, add some descriptions, pay a fee to list it on the site and lets hope for the best!
But, did you take into consideration that in the State of Ohio you need to have the property disclosure form filled out? Was the house built before 1978? You better have the Lead Based Paint disclosure filled out as well. Why? The property disclosure form is required by State law and the Lead Based Paint Disclosure is required by Federal law.
Are you marketing your home? Do you have pictures? Are the pictures good quality and show the best features of the rooms? Do you have videos? Are you posting on sites like Craigslist? Are you doing print advertising? Are you networking with other real estate agents to help you find buyers? Most importantly, are you using current information that will help you price your home well to what the MARKET says?
Sounds like a lot of stuff to handle, right? These are what any GOOD agent today will do. Long gone are the days of just putting a sign in the yard and holding an open house. Agents have become less "sales people" and become more marketers. The agent is the brand and the house they are selling is their product. Think of it as a store, they want to make sure the product they are selling shows off the best features that are attractive to buyers to get your home sold. Ultimately, that is our job.
Buying a home
Buying can become pretty easy now-a-days. Go to a site like trulia.com and Realtor.com help find homes in your area. But, what happens when it comes down to buying these home? More than likely, you call who holds the listing, view the home and if you like it, you buy it (short answer).
But...what is that listing agents duty to you? Answer: Very little. He still has to treat you ethically but he is looking out for his client's best interest. For example, you may ask "What should I offer?" He will say "List Price." Why? Because it is his duty to get his client's house sold and the listing price is what they are asking.
What does the buyer's agent do for you? He is looking out for you in this transaction. Instead of saying "List price" to you, your agent is going to give you all the best and current information that is available to him to help you make an informed decision on what price to go in at.
In a nutshell for the buyer, we take all those bits of information that you have received online and we put them together for you. Explaining each step of the home buying process. We explain what they mean and we help you make a more informed choice.
Wrapping it up
Let us say you are being sued for a huge amount of money. Would you go in a represent yourself? If you are buying a new car, would you walk in the door and just take the salespersons word for it? The answer is NO! So why would you set your self up to go through the largest financial transaction of your life without somebody in your corner? Real Estate Agents do get a bad name (just like the two careers I mentioned) because a few apples have spoiled the whole bunch. But, the things we can do for our clients allow you to breath a lot easier because WE help make the process smoother for you.
About this Author
Joe Chapman helps people with the largest transaction of their life in Central Ohio. After years in retail sales and management he is taking his expertise to the arena of Real Estate. You can visit his blog at http://centralohioagent.wordpress.com
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