While it’s not always necessary to hire a real estate agent, life gets considerably less complicated when you do. They can take care of parts of the buying or selling process that are difficult to manage when going it alone. While you may even begrudge them their commission, they do plenty to earn it even if that’s not always fully appreciated by the people on either side of the transaction.
Here are 4 reasons to hire a real estate agent.
1. Real Estate is their Singular Focus
Whether you’re dealing with a nationwide real estate agency with offices across the country or a small operation with a single local office, usually their singular focus is real estate.
Agencies like Anton Zhouk, Kew will live and breathe real estate. These agencies have been involved in real estate for many years. Often, they love the vibrant nature of the ever-changing market. Its dynamism keeps real estate agents on their toes, so one day is never the same as the next.
By comparison, if you try to handle some of the details yourself, it’ll probably be your first time. With everything! And that leads to both costly mistakes and errors of omission. You don’t want that.
2. Improved Access to Homes
Real estate agencies make the market move. Because they provide the listings and work with other agencies and their listings too, not much happens without them.
Trying to operate outside of an established system usually doesn’t work well in the end. For one thing, it will confuse the other participants who are not expecting it. Also, the mistakes along the way will make you appear like an amateur. It’s difficult to succeed well when everyone around you is clear that it’s your first time.
When you need full access to listings, it’s best to work inside the system.
3. Contacts Get Complicated Fast
Contracts with a real estate transaction need to contain the right clauses and not just a few of the most important ones. Otherwise, you could be agreeing to something that could return to bite you later.
A lack of knowledge and experience with legal contracts is a bad road to go down. The downside can mean being sued when failing to meet the terms of a poorly written real estate contract or one that’s too open to interpretation in the other side’s favour.
4. They’re Skilled Negotiators
Negotiating is an art and a skill. It can be something that you’re born with, but for most people, it’s a learned skill.
Real estate agents negotiate on behalf of clients for expensive properties every day. They appreciate the sensibilities and pressures of the agent on the other side of the transaction because they feel similarly. They also have a strong sense of when they can push for a better price and when it’s really a “best and final” with no wriggle room remaining.
There are many reasons to hire a real estate agent to represent you, rather than trying to do some of it alone. Avoid getting partway into the process and realising what a mistake you’ve made. That won’t end well. Choose a real estate agent wisely and let them represent your interests. That way, you won’t get distracted from your regular day-to-day.