Should Buyers Use a Real Estate Professional?
By David Valente
Prudential Sussex Realty
With
just the stroke of a few keys, you can find myriad resources on the
Internet to help you in your search for a new home. Besides property
listings, you can find out about specific communities, schools and
mortgage options. Prudential Real Estate has made three great resources
– Environmental Profile, Property Profile and Value Range Estimate –
available on prudential.com/realestate that provide detailed real
estate information just by keying in a U.S. property address.
With
this wealth of information at your disposal, do you really need a real
estate professional to represent you? Absolutely.
Think of
it this way, when you go to an unfamiliar place, sure you could do a
self-guided tour. However, your tour is much more rewarding and
enriching when you have someone who is familiar with the location to
guide you along because he or she has inside knowledge on the history,
culture and stories that you may not have otherwise received.
The
same can be said about sales professionals. Their role is more than
someone to drive you around from property to property. They can be a
great resource, especially to homebuyers relocating from other
communities. He or she knows the local area including home values,
taxes, utility costs, and school data, and may even be knowledgeable
about resources pertaining to your special interests or needs. For
instance, should you require help relocating an aging parent with you,
your real estate professional may be able to direct you to local
services or organizations for the elderly.
A sales
professional can familiarize you with the processes involved in buying
a home, alert you to potential risks, help you determine how much house
you can afford, explain alternative financing strategies, as well as
provide tremendous moral support.
Another benefit is having
a strong advocate during the negotiating process. Sales professionals
can help you objectively evaluate an offer then work to negotiate a
favorable contract. During the process, he or she will review the
contract and obligations before you sign, explain how contingencies and
release clauses work, and so on.
And something easy to
overlook is our familiarity with the complexity and risks inherent in
the process. In the years I have been practicing I have been
continually amazed at how quickly a seemingly simple transaction can
grow legally complex and risky. When complex questions arise, a sales
professional can help you quickly locate an attorney or other licensed
professionals whose services you may require, such as home inspectors,
engineers, surveyors and lenders.
As your single point of
contact, a sales professional can manage the entire transaction
including coordinating inspections, keeping in touch with the other
real estate professionals, managing the documentation for the loan
process, monitoring deadlines associated with contingencies, providing
applicable paperwork, estimating closing costs, and helping prepare for
a smooth and uneventful closing.
If you’re about to begin
the process of buying or selling a home, consider involving a real
estate professional. When the stakes are high, it’s comforting to have
a specialist by your side.
David Valente can be reached at 604-984-9711. Prudential Sussex Realty is an
independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate
Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing
Opportunity.
www.davidvalente.com